Incident
Officer Fred Lucy, Officer Ronald Florence, and Officer Charles Thompson were killed in a plane crash while en route to pick up a prisoner in Panama City, Florida, at 9:45 a.m. The Cessna 411, which had been seized several weeks prior, developed engine problems within minutes of taking off from Craig Field in Jacksonville. The pilot attempted to return to the airport but was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field along Beach Boulevard. The plane struck a telephone pole and then the roof of a car dealership before coming to rest. All three officers were killed on impact. Officer Lucy was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran.
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BO-US-FL-8D424753- 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 Lucy served with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Jacksonville 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Fred L. Lucy served in the Army (1964â1966) before joining law enforcement.
Officer Fred L. Lucy is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In FL, 313 of 1,008 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 0.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, 12 of 30 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Fred L. Lucy's cause is highlighted.
How Fred L. Lucy Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Fred L. Lucy is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
29 officers from Jacksonville Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















