Bjorn Thomas Svenson

Florida Department of Corrections — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious

End of Watch August 31, 1982

Age 33

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 126 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 32

Incident

Probation Supervisor Bjorn Svenson was shot and killed after being ambushed by a parolee. The parolee had served six years of a life sentence and had already been sent back to prison once by Supervisor Svenson. Supervisor Svenson was leaving work late one night, unarmed, when the parolee ambushed him in the parking lot of his office at 1850 NW 183rd Street in Dade CountyAfter emptying his weapon, he reloaded it and shot Supervisor Svenson twice more. The 37-year-old suspect had spent half of his life in prison for robbery, shooting a state trooper, and several other crimes. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. As of November 26, 2020, he was on Florida's death row. Supervisor Svenson had served with the Florida Department of Corrections for 10 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-F85492C5
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.
Probation Supervisor Svenson gave the Florida Department of Corrections 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Probation Supervisor Svenson.

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

Agency

Department Florida Department of Corrections

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fdcorr.leon.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1982

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Sentenced to death

Probation Supervisor Bjorn Thomas Svenson 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 Department of Corrections, 11 of 33 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Department of Corrections

of 33 officers

33.3% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious