Clyde Lamar Elsberry

Atlanta Police Department — Atlanta, GA

Felonious

End of Watch July 10, 1955

Age 27

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Badge 993

The Vigil Panel 91 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 87

Incident

Officer Clyde Elsberry succumbed to injuries sustained the previous days when he was run down by two escaped convicts, while pursuing them on Moreland Avenue, near Burns Street. He had driven his motorcycle next to the car the convicts were driving and ordered them to pull over, but the driver instead struck him. Moments later they ran over and killed a 17-year-boy on his motorcycle. Their vehicle's speed, estimated at 100 mph was found crashed near the scene. From the time of their escape until capture they crashed into several parked cars. The two escapes, 27 and 33, were driving a stolen prison station wagon. One was captured a block away. The other stole a pickup truck. Later that day he was shot and then arrested by Atlanta Police when he refused to pullover. The two suspects, with a history of escapes, were trustees at the Dekalb County Prison Camp. They had been allowed, " unsupervised", to operate a nearby county owned filling station. Both were charged with two counts of murder. One was serving a 60 year sentence for robbery and the other five years for auto theft. The 33-year-old driver of the prison car got a life sentence added to his 60 year term. The other suspect was convicted of two counts of manslaughter and got two 5 year terms added to his existing 5 year term. He was paroled in 1959 but in that same year he was sent back to prison for 5 years after he was caught in Pell, Alabama, with a stolen car. Officer Elsberry had served with the Atlanta Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, mother, five brothers, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-4627943A
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.
Officer Elsberry gave the Atlanta Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Elsberry.

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

Agency

Department Atlanta Police Department

Location Atlanta, GA

Platform Identity apd.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 10, 1955

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 27

Badge Number 993

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Offender Sentenced to life

Officer Clyde Lamar Elsberry 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Atlanta Police Department, 58 of 88 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.9% of this agency's fallen.

Atlanta Police Department

of 88 officers

65.9% Felonious

GA — Statewide

548

of 903 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious