Charles E. Bruce

Fort Lauderdale Police Department — Fort Lauderdale, FL

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch August 24, 1983

Age 46

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

The Vigil Panel 127 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 12

Incident

Patrolman Charlie Bruce succumbed to injuries he received when he was involved in a motorcycle crash on Wednesday, August 3, 1983, at 12:45 p.m. Patrolman Bruce was traveling north on Atlantic Boulevard when a vehicle made an illegal U-turn in front of him. He was unable to avoid hitting the side of the vehicle, and he flew into the air. The impact of the crash and the force of hitting the ground caused his helmet to fall off. He was transported to North Beach Community Hospital, where he was unable to recover from a fractured pelvis and injuries to his chest, abdomen, and head and died three weeks later. The driver was charged with making an improper U-turn. Patrolman Bruce was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department for 22 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and three sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-9E3A24C5
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Charles is one person.

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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.
Patrolman Bruce gave the Fort Lauderdale Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale Police Department

Type Other

Location Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, FL

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

Service Record

End of Watch August 24, 1983

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Charles E. Bruce served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Charles E. Bruce is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In FL, 313 of 1,008 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 31.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Fort Lauderdale Police Department, 9 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 69.2% of this agency's fallen.

Fort Lauderdale Police Department

of 13 officers

69.2% Accident

FL — Statewide

313

of 1,008 officers

31.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident