Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Clyde Elsberry succumbed to injuries sustained the previous days when he was run down by two escaped convicts, while pursuing them on Moreland Avenue, near Burns Street. He had driven his motorcycle next to the car the convicts were driving and ordered them to pull over, but the driver instead struck him. Moments later they ran over and killed a 17-year-boy on his motorcycle. Their vehicle's speed, estimated at 100 mph was found crashed near the scene. From the time of their escape until capture they crashed into several parked cars. The two escapes, 27 and 33, were driving a stolen prison station wagon. One was captured a block away. The other stole a pickup truck. Later that day he was shot and then arrested by Atlanta Police when he refused to pullover. The two suspects, with a history of escapes, were trustees at the Dekalb County Prison Camp. They had been allowed, " unsupervised", to operate a nearby county owned filling station. Both were charged with two counts of murder. One was serving a 60 year sentence for robbery and the other five years for auto theft. The 33-year-old driver of the prison car got a life sentence added to his 60 year term. The other suspect was convicted of two counts of manslaughter and got two 5 year terms added to his existing 5 year term. He was paroled in 1959 but in that same year he was sent back to prison for 5 years after he was caught in Pell, Alabama, with a stolen car. Officer Elsberry had served with the Atlanta Police Department for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, mother, five brothers, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-4627943A- 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.
Officer Elsberry gave the Atlanta Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Elsberry.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Clyde Lamar Elsberry 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 GA, 549 of 905 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clyde Lamar Elsberry's cause is highlighted.
How Clyde Lamar Elsberry Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clyde Lamar Elsberry is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Clyde Lamar Elsberry was killed by automobile.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
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