Rufus A. Hobbs

Norfolk Police Department — Norfolk, VA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 23, 1909

Age 43

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 23 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 38

Incident

Officer Rufus Hobbs succumbed to injuries sustained on June 24, 1909, when he was thrown from a horse at the intersection of City Hall Avenue and Brewer Street. He was evaluating the horse for use on the Mounted Squad when it became frightened and bolted. He was thrown from the horse as it turned the corner onto Brewer Street. He suffered a serious injury when his head struck a streetcar rail on the roadway. He was hospitalized for a week before being sent home to recover, but his condition worsened and he died on July 23, 1909. Officer Hobbs was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Norfolk Police Department for 20 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-ABA1A6F0
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Rufus is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Hobbs gave the Norfolk Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Norfolk community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Norfolk Police Department

Type Other

Location Norfolk, VA

Platform Identity npd.norfolk.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 23, 1909

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Rufus A. Hobbs served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Rufus A. Hobbs is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In VA, 204 of 655 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 31.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Norfolk Police Department, 17 of 39 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 43.6% of this agency's fallen.

Norfolk Police Department

of 39 officers

43.6% Accident

VA — Statewide

204

of 655 officers

31.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Accident