Joe Brooks Cooper

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division — Washington, DC

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch October 25, 1963

Age 36

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Investigator Joe Cooper and Investigator Ralph Holt were shot and killed while serving a search warrant on the operator of a club in Bibb County, Alabama. The operator was suspected of selling moonshine whiskey at the club on Pondville Road about six miles south of Brent, Alabama. The suspect opened fire on the agents with a .38 caliber handgun as they entered the front door of the business. The suspect was shot and fatally wounded by other agents who were assisting with the raid. Agent Cooper was a US Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division for three years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-77D7B129
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.
Investigator Cooper gave the United States Department of the Treasury 3 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdtirsattdfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 25, 1963

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Joe Brooks Cooper served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Investigator Joe Brooks Cooper 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division, 3 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division

of 15 officers

20% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious