Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Marc Atkinson was shot and killed after being ambushed by suspected drug traffickers.
Officer Atkinson was driving a marked patrol car while following the suspects, who turned a corner, stopped their vehicle, and waited for him on North 30th Avenue just north of West Catalina Drive. As he turned the corner, the three suspects opened fire, striking him twice in the head, killing him. A citizen who witnessed the incident engaged the suspects in a gunfight with his own weapon, seriously wounding one. The other two suspects fled but were later arrested.
Officer Atkinson was a United States Marine Corps Operation Desert Storm veteran who served as a law enforcement officer for five years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and six-month-old child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AZ-A34AE215- 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 Atkinson gave the Phoenix Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Phoenix community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Marc Todd Atkinson served in the Marine Corps (1990â1991) before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer Marc Todd Atkinson 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 AZ, 204 of 330 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Phoenix Police Dept., 28 of 47 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Marc Todd Atkinson's cause is highlighted.
How Marc Todd Atkinson Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Marc Todd Atkinson is highlighted in Mar.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
46 officers from Phoenix Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
