Alvin Vincent Kohler

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch September 19, 1978

Age 23

Tour of Duty 11 mo

The Vigil Panel 120 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 53

Incident

Trooper Alvin Kohler was shot and killed in Miami when he stopped to help a disabled motorist on the Florida Turnpike at SW 168th Street. Trooper Kohler stopped for a car on fire. He requested a tow truck and started writing the 15-year-old driver a citation for failure to comply with a restriction on his license. When the tow truck arrived, the youth opened fire with a handgun, killing the trooper and the tow truck driver. The suspect and a 13-year-old companion then fled in the tow truck. Minutes later, they were captured by two Florida City police officers. The shooter was convicted of two counts of murder and robbery and sentenced to three life terms in prison. As of November 22, 2020, he was in prison. Trooper Kohler was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 11 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, two brothers, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-2D0E885D
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Trooper Kohler served with the Florida Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Florida Highway Patrol

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 19, 1978

Tour of Duty 11 mo

Age 23

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .357 caliber

Offender Cause: Gunfire

Military Service

Alvin Vincent Kohler served in the Air Force (1974â1977) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Alvin Vincent Kohler is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Florida Highway Patrol, 23 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.6% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Highway Patrol

of 54 officers

42.6% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious