Frederick J. Groves Jr.

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 18, 1984

Age 41

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 128 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 53

Incident

Trooper Fred Groves succumbed to his gunshot wound when he was shot after making a traffic stop in Palm Beach County. The stop occurred along the southbound lanes of the Florida Turnpike two miles north of Okeechobee Road in West Palm Beach. As Trooper Groves searched the trunk of the car, he was shot in the neck by a passenger when he discovered a suitcase full of marijuana. He was transported to Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, where he succumbed to his wound three days later. The suspect and the driver were arrested the next day. The 21-year-old suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on March 27, 1987. His accomplice was convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to seven years. Trooper Groves had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 14 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-C0DB6800
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. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Frederick is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Groves gave the Florida Highway Patrol 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Groves.

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

Agency

Department Florida Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 18, 1984

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Frederick J. Groves Jr. served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1964â1968) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Frederick J. Groves Jr. 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 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 53.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Florida Highway Patrol, 23 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.6% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Highway Patrol

of 54 officers

42.6% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious