Joe Keith

Childersburg Police Department — Childersburg, AL

Felonious

End of Watch June 28, 1890

The Vigil Panel 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Town Marshal Joe Keith was shot and killed while attempting to arrest four men who were causing a disturbance in town.

The men had been in town all afternoon and started driving a buggy recklessly down the town's main street while firing their pistols. Marshal Keith was called and began to chase them on horseback as they fled along the railroad tracks. He caught one of the men and turned him over to a citizen before continuing his chase of the others.

When he caught up to the others and demanded they surrender they opened fire, killing him.

Two of the men were arrested several days later and the other two were arrested several weeks later. On August 20, 1891, all four were acquitted.

On behalf of the Alabama Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, we will be honoring you May 2, 2026, at our annual Candlelight Vigil in Anniston, AL. You will be represented by your department. You will never be forgotten.

Cindy Hatcher, Secretary AL C.O.P.S. Mother of fallen officer, David Curtis, EOW 6/29/2010 March 9th, 2026

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-72CEC07A
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

136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Town Marshal Keith served with the Childersburg Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Childersburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Childersburg Police Department

Location Childersburg, AL

Platform Identity cpd.talladega.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 28, 1890

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Town Marshal Joe Keith 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 Childersburg Police Department, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Childersburg Police Department

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious