Ernest Coleman
Agency patch
Patrol Officer

Ernest Coleman

Charlotte Police Department — Charlotte, NC
Felonious
End of Watch July 1, 1982
Age 31
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Patrol Officer Ernest Coleman was shot and killed while working a uniformed off-duty security detail at a local convenience store at 1401 Oaklawn Avenue in Charlotte at 7:30 pm. He was shot by a man he had ejected from the store earlier in the evening for being rowdy. He was transported to the Charlotte Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds five hours later. The 24-year-old suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on March 2, 1983. Officer Coleman had served with the Charlotte Police Department for 18 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtmracafnbgfsz13pxapf
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Ernest. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

You barely got started.
Patrol Officer Coleman gave the Charlotte Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Charlotte community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrol Officer Coleman.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NC
Platform Identity charpd.mecklenburg.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 1, 1982
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Ernest is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1982, 122 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 42nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ernest was 31. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Ernest had served 1.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Charlotte Police Department has 18 officers remembered here, Ernest among them.

VI

Where

Patrol Officer Ernest Coleman

Charlotte Police Department · End of Watch July 1, 1982

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-W

↑