Ronald F. McLeod

Miami Police Department — Miami, FL

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch May 8, 1969

Age 30

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 105 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 38

Incident

Police Officer Ronald McLeod was shot from his motorcycle and killed when he stopped to question a robbery suspect at the intersection of NW Miami Court and NW 13th Street. The suspect was captured one week later in Memphis, Tennessee, after a gun battle with police. On the return trip to Florida, with two Dade County deputies in a marked patrol car, near Oxford, Alabama, the suspect managed to grab one of the deputy's service revolvers. He forced them to pull off the road and flag down a passing motorist. He handcuffed the motorist and one deputy to the patrol car and then forced the other deputy to drive him away. Minutes later several Alabama state troopers intercepted the patrol car. During a 50 mile pursuit, the suspect fired several shots at the troopers. The troopers would not fire back for fear of hitting the deputy. The deputy crashed the car near Pell City, Alabama. Finding himself surrounded by several troopers, the suspect gave up. The 22-year-old man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on October 16th, 1970. His sentence was later commuted to life. As of November 15th, 2020, the suspect was still in prison. Officer McLeod was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Miami Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-91E865CB
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

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer McLeod gave the Miami Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Miami community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Miami Police Department

Location Miami, FL

Platform Identity mpd.miamidade.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 8, 1969

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

Ronald F. McLeod served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Ronald F. McLeod 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 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 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Miami Police Department, 20 of 39 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 51.3% of this agency's fallen.

Miami Police Department

of 39 officers

51.3% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious