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Sergeant

Darwin J. Finch

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 8, 1869

Age 27

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 3 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 93

Incident

Sergeant Darwin Finch was shot and killed when he and two other officers went to arrest a suspect on a warrant at Horn Lake, Mississippi. A Captain from the Second Arkansas Sate Guard came to Memphis with an arrest warrant for a suspect. He stopped at Police Headquarters and Sergeant Finch and another Sergeant were assigned to accompany the Captain to arrest the suspect. When they arrived at the tavern where the suspect was staying, Sergeant Finch entered through the back while the Captain and other Sergeant entered from the front.

The suspect immediately recognized the Arkansas Captain and fled towards the back door while firing. Several shots were exchanged as the suspect attempted to pass Sergeant Finch to escape out the back door. During the gun battle the Captain was slightly injured and Sergeant Finch was mortally wounded and the suspect escaped out the back door.

Help was summoned for Sergeant Finch, but doctors were unable to help Sergeant Finch and he died the next day from his wounds.

Sergeant Finch was a U.S Army veteran of the Civil war and had served with the Memphis Police Department for three years.

Rest in peace Sergeant Finch.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis March 8th, 2022

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-686FF3A0
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.
Sergeant Finch gave the Memphis Police Department 3 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

Location Memphis, TN

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

Service Record

End of Watch March 8, 1869

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Pistol

Military Service

Darwin J. Finch served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Darwin J. Finch 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 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 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious