Roll of Honor

Prev Next

Officer

Melvin Earl Collins

Brunswick Police Department — Brunswick, GA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 11, 2003

Age 31

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 150 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Officer Melvin Collins was shot and killed when he intervened in a robbery while working an off-duty job at a grocery store at 3915 Darien Highway.

Two men came into the store and attempted to rob it. When one of the suspects fired two shots past a female clerk's head, Officer Collins identified himself as a police officer and exchanged shots with the two suspects.

Although mortally wounded, Officer Collins struck one of the suspects in the hand and was able to subdue him with the help of two off-duty U.S. Marshals who were also in the store. The second suspect fled into a nearby marsh where he was apprehended the following day. The suspect was convicted of murdering Officer Collins in 2003 in Brunswick, Georgia and received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

Officer Collins had just graduated from the academy and was to have his ceremonial swearing-in on the following Monday, three days after he was killed.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-83B66306
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Melvin. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Melvin is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Collins served with the Brunswick Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Brunswick community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Collins.

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

Agency

Department Brunswick Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Brunswick, Glynn County, GA

Platform Identity bpd.glynn.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 11, 2003

Tour of Duty

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Melvin Earl Collins served in the U.S. Army (1991â1991) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Melvin Earl Collins 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 GA, 549 of 905 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Brunswick Police Department, 6 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.7% of this agency's fallen.

Brunswick Police Department

of 7 officers

85.7% Felonious

GA — Statewide

549

of 905 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious