David Wayne Clark

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch May 21, 1973

Age 31

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Badge 163

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 93

Incident

Patrolman David Clark was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect who had just murdered four people and wounded a federal probation officer. The officers responded to a shots fired call in the 1700 block of Kansas Street. When they arrived, they found that four people had been shot and killed, along with the wounded federal probation officer. Patrolman Clark then chased the suspect, who was armed with a .30-.30 rifle, to the rear of a frame house at 1760 Kansas Street. Patrolman Clark encountered the suspect in the rear of the house at a range of about 20 feet and fired one shot, hitting the suspect in the shoulder. He then took cover at the corner of the house. The suspect fired one shot from his rifle and the round pierced the wall of the house where Patrolman Clark was concealed, and he was struck in the side of the head. The suspect then kicked down the door of the house and barricaded himself inside. Officers surrounded the house and fired tear gas into it. When the suspect exited the house holding the rifle, officers opened fire, killing him. Patrolman Clark was a United States Air Force veterand and had served with the Memphis Police Department for eight years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-39E8575B
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. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. David 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.
Patrolman Clark gave the Memphis Police Department 8 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 21, 1973

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 31

Badge Number 163

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Military Service

David Wayne Clark served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman David Wayne Clark 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