Carl Strickland
Agency patch
Officer

Carl Strickland

Naples Police Department — Naples, FL
Felonious
End of Watch November 6, 1954
Age 45
Tour of Duty 1 mo
The Vigil Panel 90 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Carl Strickland was shot and killed from ambush by a man he had encountered about 15 minutes earlier.

Officer Strickland had broken up a fight between two men in the McDonalds Quarter. He warned the men to go home or that he would arrest them. When the subjects left the scene, one of them went home and obtained a .38 caliber pistol.

At approximately 10:30 pm the man ambushed and shot Officer Strickland between two houses. Officer Strickland's service revolver was still holstered and his flashlight was shining when he was found.

His killer, 52, fled the scene but turned himself in to the Collier County sheriff two days later. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Officer Strickland was the first black police officer to serve with the Naples Police Department, and had been with the agency for only 30 days.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-61897D20
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Strickland served with the Naples Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Naples community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Strickland.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Naples, Collier County, FL
Platform Identity npd.collier.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 6, 1954
Tour of Duty 1 mo
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Officer Carl Strickland 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 Naples Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Naples Police Department
1
of 2 officers
50% Felonious
FL — Statewide
539
of 1,008 officers
53.5% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Carl Strickland's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Carl Strickland Compares

Age at Death
45
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
0.1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Carl Strickland is highlighted in Nov.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Carl Strickland was killed by handgun; .38 caliber.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from Naples Police Department are honored on badge.nw.