Thomas Ray Carpenter

Colorado State Patrol — Lakewood, CO

Felonious

End of Watch December 27, 1973

Age 31

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Badge 208

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 29

Incident

Patrolman Thomas Carpenter was shot and killed with his own weapon after being abducted while on patrol. He had stopped a vehicle at Broadway and U.S. 36, in Denver, and became engaged in a struggle with the driver. The suspect gained control of Patrolman Carpenter's handgun and forced him to drive to another location. At approximately 10:00 am, Patrolman Carpenter radioed in his position as being on I-70, at Havana Street, which was out of his assigned area. He was found a short time later in his patrol car in Montbello with four gunshot wounds in his back. The suspect had shot him from the back seat of the patrol car as he sat in the driver's seat. The two prime suspects were shot and killed in an unrelated event several years later. No suspects have ever been apprehended in connection with Patrolman Carpenter's death. Patrolman Carpenter had served with the Colorado State Patrol for over five years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CO-10595FA2
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.
Patrolman Carpenter gave the Colorado State Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Colorado. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Carpenter.

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

Agency

Department Colorado State Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Lakewood, CO

Platform Identity chp.co.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 27, 1973

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 31

Badge Number 208

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Patrolman Thomas Ray Carpenter 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 CO, 235 of 360 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.3% of this state's fallen. That is 65.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Colorado State Patrol, 11 of 30 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.7% of this agency's fallen.

Colorado State Patrol

of 30 officers

36.7% Felonious

CO — Statewide

235

of 360 officers

65.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious