Clarence Purvis Cox Jr.

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch May 12, 1981

Age 53

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Badge 99

The Vigil Panel 124 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 93

Incident

Lieutenant Clarence Cox was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect who was wanted for escape and for the murder of a priest. He had encountered the subject near the intersection of N Lauderdale Street and Exchange Avenue and attempted to take him into custody. The suspect was able to gain control of Lieutenant Cox's service weapon and shoot him with it. The man was later arrested in Jackson, Tennessee. He was sentenced to death but later murdered in prison by other death row inmates. Lieutenant Cox was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Memphis Police Department for 22 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-0789430F
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Clarence 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.
Lieutenant Cox gave the Memphis Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis 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 Memphis Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Memphis, Shelby County, TN

Platform Identity mpd.shelby.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 12, 1981

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 53

Badge Number 99

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Military Service

Clarence Purvis Cox Jr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Lieutenant Clarence Purvis Cox Jr. 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Memphis Police Department, 53 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 56.4% of this agency's fallen.

Memphis Police Department

of 94 officers

56.4% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious