James Bradford-Jean Crooks

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious

End of Watch May 19, 1998

Age 23

Tour of Duty 9 mo

Badge 1777

The Vigil Panel 145 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 53

Incident

Trooper James Crooks was shot and killed while he was involved in a chase of a suspect who had just killed two Tampa detectives, Detectives Randy Bell and Ricky Childers. Trooper Crooks was attempting to stop the suspect, who had just car-jacked another driver, on I-75 just south of State Road 54 in Pasco County when gunfire erupted. Trooper Crooks was struck in the head before exiting his cruiser. The suspect then fled the scene and holed up in a gas station for several hours before committing suicide. Trooper Crooks had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for nine months.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents and fiancee.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-53F91D49
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.
Trooper Crooks served with the Florida Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Crooks.

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

Agency

Department Florida Highway Patrol

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 19, 1998

Tour of Duty 9 mo

Age 23

Badge Number 1777

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; Semi-automatic

Offender Committed suicide

Trooper James Bradford-Jean Crooks 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Florida Highway Patrol, 23 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.6% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Highway Patrol

of 54 officers

42.6% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious