Joseph Paul Bertrand
Agency patch
Corporal

Joseph Paul Bertrand

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL
Felonious
End of Watch December 22, 1967
Age 46
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
The Vigil Panel 103 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Corporal Bertrand was shot and killed on State Road 80 near Ft. Myers when he stopped a driver he suspected was under the influence. The suspect was captured in a nearby wooded area. The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death May 17, 1968. His conviction and sentence were later reduced to second degree murder with a life sentence. He died in prison on May 12, 2000. Trooper Bertrand had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 16 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-E329151F
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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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corporal Bertrand gave the Florida Highway Patrol 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Bertrand.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Tallahassee, FL
Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 22, 1967
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Corporal Joseph Paul Bertrand 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
23
of 54 officers
42.6% Felonious
FL — Statewide
539
of 1,008 officers
53.5% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Paul Bertrand's cause is highlighted.

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

How Joseph Paul Bertrand Compares

Age at Death
46
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
16
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Paul Bertrand is highlighted in Dec.

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. Joseph Paul Bertrand was killed by gun.

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