Austin Hepburn Jr.

Hallandale Beach Police Department — Hallandale Beach, FL

Veteran → Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch July 27, 1973

Age 26

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 4

Incident

Officer Austin Hepburn was shot and killed by a man in a stolen vehicle in front of 516 NW Sixth Street. He observed two men and a juvenile attempting to change the license plate on the car. As he approached the group, one of the men grabbed him. A second suspect exited the car and shot him with both loads of a double-barreled shotgun. Two suspects, 16 and 18, were apprehended three hours later. The 25-year-old killer was apprehended the next day in Waycross, Georgia, by state troopers. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled on September 28, 2001. Charges against the other two were dropped. Officer Hepburn was a Vietnam War veteran and served two years with the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-7A7F1A3F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 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.
Officer Hepburn gave the Hallandale Beach Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Hallandale Beach community, 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 Hallandale Beach Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Hallandale Beach, Broward County, FL

Platform Identity hbpd.broward.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 27, 1973

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Austin Hepburn Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force (1965â1969) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Austin Hepburn Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 53.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Hallandale Beach Police Department, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

Hallandale Beach Police Department

of 5 officers

80% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious