Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Kansas Weapon: Gun; Unknown type Offender: Released
Special Officer Charles Hale was shot and killed in Hutchinson, Kansas, while attempting to arrest a man who was stealing coal from a railcar.
The man opened fire on Officer Hale with a pistol, fatally wounding him.
The subject was arrested but later released on a writ of habeas corpus.
Officer Hale was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and one child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-34683F05- 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.
Special Officer Hale served with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Topeka community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles Hale served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Special Officer Charles Hale 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 KS, 237 of 335 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.7% of this state's fallen. That is 70.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Police Department, 24 of 32 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles Hale's cause is highlighted.
How Charles Hale Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Hale is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Charles Hale was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Military Service
Charles Hale served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit Charles Hale’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
31 officers from Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
