Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Babb was shot and killed by a man wanted for robbery and larceny of an automobile. A sequence of events started when the suspect, (a recently released prisoner), helped break a prisoner out of a Arcadia prison camp. He then drove a stolen car to Tallahassee where he robbed a woman of $100 in cash and then stole her car. When he ran out of gas the suspect was given a ride to Apalachicola where he stole a deputy sheriff's patrol car. Officer Babb spotted the suspect, gave chase, and cornered the suspect at the end of a dead end street. In an exchange of gunfire Officer Babb was hit three times and killed instantly. The suspect fled in the patrol car to Port St. Joe where he sped past a police road block. Officers riddled the windshield with pistol and shotgun fire, causing the suspect to crash. The suspect fled from the vehicle but was later captured after he was found hiding under a nearby house. The suspect, 28, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death on April 2, 1968. His sentence was commuted to life in 1972. He escaped from prison in 1979 but was quickly captured.
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- 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.
Officer Babb served with the Apalachicola Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Apalachicola community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Babb.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Fred Earl Babb 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Fred Earl Babb's cause is highlighted.
How Fred Earl Babb Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Fred Earl Babb is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Fred Earl Babb was killed by handgun; .357 caliber.