Harmon Barton Patridge

Bessemer Police Dept. — Bessemer, AL

Felonious

End of Watch January 6, 1911

Age 39

The Vigil Panel 25 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Officer Patridge was shot and wounded by a man as he raided a crap game in a local railroad yard. In was thought he was recovering well but blood poisoning set in and he died three weeks later. Officer Patridge and another officer arrested one of the gamblers. They were escorting their prisoner to jail when he suddenly fled and opened fire on the officers as he ran. The other officer fired back. An investigation revealed that the officer and the suspect had pistols that were alike. Officials were unable to tell if the suspect shot him or the other officer accidentally shot him. Officer Patridge was survived by his wife and two children. He is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Bessemer.

Survivors

Officer Patridge was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-5B1AD771
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Patridge served with the Bessemer Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Bessemer community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Patridge.

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

Agency

Department Bessemer Police Dept.

Location Bessemer, AL

Platform Identity besspd.jefferson.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 6, 1911

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Pistol

Offender Not available

Police Officer Harmon Barton Patridge 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 Bessemer Police Dept., 10 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Bessemer Police Dept.

of 10 officers

100% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious