Ernest Kearns Ponce de Leon

Tallahassee Police Department — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious

End of Watch July 8, 1988

Age 40

Badge 647

The Vigil Panel 133 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Police Officer Ernest Ponce de Leon was shot and killed while assisting another officer during a suspicious vehicle call at the intersection of Levy Avenue and Lake Bradford Road. The occupants of the vehicle had claimed that their identification was packed in luggage in the trunk. One of the occupants was accompanied by the other officer to the trunk while Officer Ponce de Leon covered them. Suddenly two of the men pulled out handguns and opened fire, striking Officer Ponce de Leon, who was not wearing a vest, in the chest. One of the suspects was shot and wounded by the other officer. All of the suspects were apprehended as backup officers arrived on the scene. It was learned that the suspects had escaped from the Maryland Department of Corrections several days prior. The 33-year-old suspect who shot Officer Ponce de Leon was sentenced to death and the others were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The suspect sentenced to death died in prison on October 27th, 2015, of natural causes.

Survivors

Officer Ponce de Leon was survived by his son and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-0A680228
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Ponce de Leon served with the Tallahassee Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Tallahassee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Ponce de Leon.

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

Agency

Department Tallahassee Police Department

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity tpd.leon.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 8, 1988

Age 40

Badge Number 647

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Died in prison

Police Officer Ernest Kearns Ponce de Leon 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Tallahassee Police Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Tallahassee Police Department

of 5 officers

40% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious