Robert Shelton

Cleveland Division of Police — Cleveland, OH

Felonious

End of Watch December 7, 1919

Age 44

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 38 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 118

Incident

Patrolman Robert Shelton was shot and killed while walking a prisoner to jail at 2:00 am. He had arrested the man on Euclid Avenue near East 66th Street after catching the suspect and another man burglarizing a drug store. Because no patrol wagons were available to take the man to jail, Patrolman Shelton began to walk him toward the station house. As they walked down East 55th Street, the man produced a gun he had concealed in his overcoat pocket and shot Patrolman Shelton, who succumbed to his wounds at a local hospital. After an investigation, the suspect was apprehended in Toledo, Ohio. The suspect was convicted of Patrolman Shelton's murder and sentenced to life in prison. In October of 1954, he escaped from an outside work program. On March 6, 1957, he was captured in Barberton, Ohio. Patrolman Shelton had served with the Cleveland Police Department for 15 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-88487DF5
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.
Patrolman Shelton gave the Cleveland Division of Police 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Shelton.

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

Agency

Department Cleveland Division of Police

Location Cleveland, OH

Platform Identity cdpd.cuyahoga.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 7, 1919

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Sentenced to life

Patrolman Robert Shelton 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Cleveland Division of Police, 83 of 119 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.7% of this agency's fallen.

Cleveland Division of Police

of 119 officers

69.7% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious