Clyde Merrill Bristow
Agency patch
Customs Officer

Clyde Merrill Bristow

Felonious
End of Watch January 12, 1932
Age 35
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
The Vigil Panel 63 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Customs Officer Clyde Bristow was shot and killed at a border crossing in Arizona while he and another officer checked a vehicle for illegal liquor. He and his partner had stopped the vehicle on the Tucson Road about 14-1/2 miles north of Nogales, Arizona, The 22-year-old suspect escaped into Mexico. On May 21st, 1935, he died of food poisoning in Mexico City. Officer Bristow had served with the United States Customs Service for three years. He was survived by his wife and one child. He was predeceased by two sons.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and one child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-3A48E623
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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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Customs Officer Bristow gave the United States Department of the Treasury 3 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Customs Officer Bristow.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 12, 1932
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 35
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Customs Officer Clyde Merrill Bristow 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 47 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service
47
of 94 officers
50% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clyde Merrill Bristow's cause is highlighted.

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

How Clyde Merrill Bristow Compares

Age at Death
35
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
3
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clyde Merrill Bristow is highlighted in Jan.

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. Clyde Merrill Bristow 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