Robert Chapman Osborne
Agency patch
Prohibition Officer

Robert Chapman Osborne

Felonious
End of Watch March 20, 1927
Age 46
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
The Vigil Panel 52 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Robert Chapman Osborne was shot and killed while attempting to search a car for whiskey in Richlands.

As he approached the car, he exchanged shots with one of the occupants. Officer Osborne was struck in the head and killed instantly.

Officer Osborne, who had lost his left arm in a mining accident many years earlier, had served as the county's prohibition officer for 5 years, and had a total of 19 years in law enforcement.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-D4706F40
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Prohibition Officer Osborne gave the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Tazewell community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Prohibition Officer Osborne.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Tazewell, Tazewell County, VA
Platform Identity tcso.tazewell.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 20, 1927
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Age 46
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Prohibition Officer Robert Chapman Osborne 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 VA, 394 of 656 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.1% of this state's fallen. That is 60.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Tazewell County Sheriff's Office
2
of 3 officers
66.7% Felonious
VA — Statewide
394
of 656 officers
60.1% 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. Robert Chapman Osborne's cause is highlighted.

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

How Robert Chapman Osborne Compares

Age at Death
46
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
19
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Chapman Osborne is highlighted in Mar.

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.

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Tazewell County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.