Charles Leroy Wilkerson

Escambia County Sheriff's Office — Pensacola, FL

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 19, 1974

Age 44

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 12

Incident

Deputy Charles Wilkerson was shot and killed when he stopped two suspects who had just committed an armed robbery. At the time, Deputy Wilkerson did not know the robbery had occurred. He had stopped the suspects on Interstate 10 near Pine Forest Road for a routine traffic stop. He talked to the men in the vehicle and went back to his patrol car. The driver exited his vehicle and shot Deputy Wilkerson twice in his head. The men fled to Alabama. One of the suspects was shot and killed a short time later. The driver was sentenced to death, but his sentence was overturned to life in prison. Deputy Wilkerson was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his son, two stepsons, his mother, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-98ED42B5
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.
Deputy Sheriff Wilkerson gave the Escambia County Sheriff's Office 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Pensacola 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 Escambia County Sheriff's Office

Location Pensacola, FL

Platform Identity ecso.escambia.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1974

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed; Life in prison

Military Service

Charles Leroy Wilkerson served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Deputy Sheriff Charles Leroy Wilkerson 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 Escambia County Sheriff's Office, 10 of 13 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.9% of this agency's fallen.

Escambia County Sheriff's Office

of 13 officers

76.9% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious