Donald Charles Cleveland

Louisiana State Police — Baton Rouge, LA

Felonious

End of Watch July 2, 1977

Age 26

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 118 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 26

Incident

Trooper Donald Cleveland was shot and killed during a traffic stop near Lafayette, Louisiana. He had stopped the vehicle with juveniles inside on Louisiana 94 after it left a nightclub between Lafayette and Breaux Bridge. The 17-year-old driver had just been released from prison for a murder he committed only two years earlier. The juvenile was sentenced to death for Trooper Cleveland's murder and was the last prisoner to be executed by the electric chair in Louisiana. Trooper Cleveland had served with the Louisiana State Police for 1-1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-LA-60A67081
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

You barely got started.
Trooper Cleveland gave the Louisiana State Police 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of Louisiana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Cleveland.

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

Agency

Department Louisiana State Police

Location Baton Rouge, LA

Platform Identity lsp.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 2, 1977

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender traffic stop

Trooper Donald Charles Cleveland 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 LA, 364 of 595 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.2% of this state's fallen. That is 7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Louisiana State Police, 6 of 27 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 22.2% of this agency's fallen.

Louisiana State Police

of 27 officers

22.2% Felonious

LA — Statewide

364

of 595 officers

61.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious