Bedford F. Brackeen

Athens Police Department — Athens, AL

Felonious

End of Watch March 24, 1941

Age 47

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 77 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Officer Bedford Brackeen was shot and killed by a suspect who approached him and his partner and began to argue with them. The two officers were sitting in their patrol car next to the old bus stop at Clinton Street and Washington Street when the man approached them. The man began to argue with Officer Brackeen's partner about a previous incident involving the man's sister. The suspect then pulled out a revolver and opened fire on the partner. Officer Brackeen exited the patrol car and exchanged shots with the suspect. Officer Brackeen was shot three times but still attempted to chase the suspect before collapsing. The suspect was arrested near Nashville, Tennessee, two days later. The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death June 24, 1941. On November 25, 1943, his sentence was commuted to life. He was paroled on January 14, 1951. Officer Brackeen had served with the agency for 20 years.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-11C8B4B6
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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Officer Brackeen gave the Athens Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Athens community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Brackeen.

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

Agency

Department Athens Police Department

Location Athens, AL

Platform Identity apd.limestone.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 24, 1941

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 47

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Offender Paroled in 1951

Officer Bedford F. Brackeen 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Athens Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Athens Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious