Frank A. Bass

Decatur Police Department — Decatur, AL

Felonious

End of Watch September 7, 1918

Age 38

The Vigil Panel 34 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Officer Frank Bass was shot and killed with his own service weapon at the intersection of Bank Street and Pond Street (modern-day Route 72) while attempting to arrest a man for causing a disturbance.

He was standing on the street when a woman approached him and said a man had been harassing her. Officer Bass spoke to the man and then attempted to arrest him. The man attacked him with a razor, slicing he leg and knocking him down. The man was then able to disarm Officer Bass and fatally shot him as he lay on the ground.

The man was arrested several days later. He was convicted of Officer Bass' murder and subsequently executed by hanging on October 30th, 1918.

Officer Bass was survived by his wife and two siblings.

Survivors

Officer Bass was survived by his wife and two siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-129083DE
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.
Officer Bass served with the Decatur Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Decatur community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Bass.

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

Agency

Department Decatur Police Department

Location Decatur, AL

Platform Identity dpd.morgan.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 7, 1918

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Executed in 1918

Officer Frank A. Bass 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Decatur Police Department, 5 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Decatur Police Department

of 5 officers

100% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious