Clarence Edward Harris
Agency patch
Detective

Clarence Edward Harris

Atlanta Police Department — Atlanta, GA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch October 20, 1973
Age 26
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 10 mo
The Vigil Panel 112 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Clarence Harris was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance at the Atlanta Theater at 583 Peachtree Street, NE. He was working his secondary job at the Atlanta Theater when he attempted to break up a fight between two men. During the struggle, one of the subjects grabbed Detective Harris' gun. When Detective Harris tried to take back his gun, he was struck. A teenager was wounded while trying to assist Detective Harris. On March 1, 1974, the suspect, 19, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years. In March 1973, Detective Harris was shot in the face during a narcotics search. Detective Harris was a U.S. Marine Corps Purple Heart recipient of the Vietnam War and had served with the Atlanta Police Department for almost 2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and a newborn daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-A93723BF
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 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.
Detective Harris gave the Atlanta Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta 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

Type Police Department
Location Atlanta, Fulton County, GA
Platform Identity apd.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 20, 1973
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 10 mo
Age 26
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Military Service

Clarence Edward Harris served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Clarence Edward Harris 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 97,756 officers honored here.

In GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Atlanta Police Department, 58 of 88 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.9% of this agency's fallen.

Atlanta Police Department
58
of 88 officers
65.9% Felonious
GA — Statewide
548
of 903 officers
60.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,756 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clarence Edward Harris's cause is highlighted.

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

How Clarence Edward Harris Compares

Age at Death
26
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1.8
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clarence Edward Harris is highlighted in Oct.

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. Clarence Edward Harris was killed by gun.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Clarence Edward Harris served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

Visit Clarence Edward Harris’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.