Harry C. Gibson
Police Officer

Harry C. Gibson

Columbus Police Department — Columbus, GA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch April 6, 1943
Age 33
The Vigil Panel 79 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Harry Gibson was shot and killed while attempting to arrest an AWOL soldier from Ft. Benning. The soldier and another man with him both produced handguns and fatally shot Officer Gibson. Both suspects were later shot and killed by other officers. Officer Gibson was a United States Navy veteran. He was survived by his wife, four children, mother, sister, and brother. Officer Gibson's father, Nelson Gibson, was shot and killed in the line of duty on September 12, 1915, while also serving as a police officer for the Columbus Police Department.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four children, mother, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-172F7F53
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Harry 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.
Police Officer Gibson served with the Columbus Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus 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

Type Other
Location Columbus, Muscogee County, GA
Platform Identity cpd.muscogee.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 6, 1943
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Harry C. Gibson served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Harry C. Gibson 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 GA, 548 of 904 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.6% of this state's fallen. That is 60.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Columbus Police Department, 19 of 26 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 73.1% of this agency's fallen.

Columbus Police Department
19
of 26 officers
73.1% Felonious
GA — Statewide
548
of 904 officers
60.6% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Harry C. Gibson's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Harry C. Gibson Compares

Age at Death
33
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Harry C. Gibson is highlighted in Apr.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Harry C. Gibson was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Military Service

Harry C. Gibson served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

Visit Harry C. Gibson’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.