Austin Hepburn, Jr.

Hallandale Beach Police Department — Hallandale Beach, FL

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch July 27, 1973

Age 26

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Officer Austin Hepburn was shot and killed by a man in a stolen vehicle in front of 516 NW Sixth Street. He observed two men and a juvenile attempting to change the license plate on the car. As he approached the group, one of the men grabbed him. A second suspect exited the car and shot him with both loads of a double-barreled shotgun. Two suspects, 16 and 18, were apprehended three hours later. The 25-year-old killer was apprehended the next day in Waycross, Georgia, by state troopers. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled on September 28, 2001. Charges against the other two were dropped. Officer Hepburn was a Vietnam War veteran and served two years with the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-7A7F1A3F
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.
Officer Hepburn gave the Hallandale Beach Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Hallandale Beach community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Hallandale Beach Police Department

Location Hallandale Beach, FL

Platform Identity hbpd.broward.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 27, 1973

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun; 12 gauge

Offender stolen vehicle

Military Service

Austin Hepburn, Jr. served in the Air Force (1965â1969) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Austin Hepburn, Jr. 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 Hallandale Beach Police Department, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

Hallandale Beach Police Department

of 5 officers

80% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious