Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Julius S. Brett

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN

Felonious

End of Watch August 30, 1915

Age 45

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

The Vigil Panel 30 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 93

Incident

Sergeant Julius Brett was shot and killed when he confronted a burglar.

Sergeant Brett was on patrol in a horse-drawn buggy so he could supervise all the officers assigned to him. At approximately 2:00 am he observed a burglar on Dunlap Street near Jackson Avenue. Before he was able to get out of his buggy he was shot and killed. Sergeant Brett managed to fire one shot at his fleeing attacker.

Memphis police officials felt that Sergeant Brett was assassinated because of his very successful work in enforcing the prohibition law in which he shot and killed four men. Sergeant Brett had served the Memphis Polie Department for 18 years.

Memphis police officials felt that Sergeant Brett was assassinated because of his very successful work in enforcing the prohibition law in which he shot and killed four men.

Sergeant Brett had served the Memphis Polie Department for 18 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-6FB0E66C
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.
Sergeant Brett gave the Memphis Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Brett.

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

Agency

Department Memphis Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Memphis, Shelby County, TN

Platform Identity mpd.shelby.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 30, 1915

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Sergeant Julius S. Brett 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Memphis Police Department, 53 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 56.4% of this agency's fallen.

Memphis Police Department

of 94 officers

56.4% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious