Roll of Honor
Incident
Staff Sergeant "Tub" Merritt was shot and killed after responding to assist other officers at an incident in which Officer James Bryant, of the Broxton Police Department, had been shot and killed.
Sergeant Merritt and a Georgia State Patrol trooper had arrived to offer assistance and were attempting to rescue Officer Bryant. As Sergeant Merritt provided cover, the trooper attempted to crawl to Officer Bryant. The suspect then shot Sergeant Merritt in the chest with a rifle, killing him. The subject was later arrested after being surrounded by officers from several agencies.
On November 15th, 2006, the subject, 55, was convicted of two counts of first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-DEF49348- 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.
Staff Sergeant Merritt gave the Coffee County Sheriff's Office 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Douglas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Staff Sergeant Merritt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Staff Sergeant Clyde Almond "Tub" Merritt 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 Coffee County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clyde Almond "Tub" Merritt's cause is highlighted.
How Clyde Almond "Tub" Merritt Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clyde Almond "Tub" Merritt is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Coffee County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
