Prev
Incident
Police Officer Robert Patterson was shot and killed by another officer who mistook him for an offender. Officer Patterson was working plainclothes, secondary employment job at a nightclub on Morris Avenue. He had broken up a fight between two women and disarmed one of them who had pulled out a knife. As Officer Patterson walked the woman out of the nightclub he encountered an on-duty officer who was unaware of what had just occurred and mistook Officer Patterson as an offender who was holding a woman at knifepoint. The officer grabbed Officer Patterson's arm and shot him. Officer Patterson died in surgery a short time later.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtn7r69p67136f53m5ce7- 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 Robert. 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
20 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Patterson gave the Birmingham Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Birmingham community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Patterson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Birmingham Police Department has lost 49 officers; 14 of them lost to accidents.
Robert is one of 182 officers lost to accidents in AL, 28.3% of the 643 remembered there.
Robert is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Robert is one of 10,096 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,102 remembered here.
34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1982, 1 officer at Birmingham Police Department was lost to accidents, the 2nd heaviest of 13 years on record. The heaviest was 1984, with 2.
In 1982, 2 officers in AL were lost to accidents, the 27th heaviest of 85 years on record. The heaviest was 1970, with 6.
In 1982, 70 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 48th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1982, 87 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 43rd heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
Robert was 51. Of the 9 lost to accidents at Birmingham Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 28 and 40; the middle age was 34. Robert had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Robert was 51. Of the 160 lost to accidents in AL whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 47.3; the middle age was 36.5. Robert had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 7 years.
Robert was 51. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Robert had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Robert was 51. Of the 9,452 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. Robert had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
October holds 21.4% of these deaths at Birmingham Police Department, more than any other month. Sundays: 7.1%.
October holds 7.1% of these deaths in AL; July holds the most, 13.2%. Sundays: 18.7%.
October holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 14%.
October holds 9.2% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Sundays: 14%.
How
Accident deaths account for 28.6% of all 49 deaths at Birmingham Police Department, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 28.3% of all 643 deaths in AL, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.6% of all 34,102 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Birmingham Police Department has 49 officers remembered here, Robert among them.
-
J. Wafe Adams
Mar 28, 1900
-
George W. Kirkley
Mar 28, 1900
-
William P. Walton
Mar 18, 1902
-
James H. Mullin
Sep 27, 1903
-
Samuel H. Hamilton
May 12, 1907
-
Willis A. Smith Mar 10, 1908
-
John W. Little Nov 7, 1908
-
Loner Denson Camp
Jun 19, 1910
-
W. C. Wallace Nov 8, 1910
-
Hugh Tully
Oct 13, 1913
-
John Aquilla Moore
Dec 5, 1913
-
George A. Sims Jan 22, 1918
-
John Dickerson Newby Oct 15, 1919
-
Sam P. Dobyns Sep 19, 1920
-
Walter Claude Hollums Aug 15, 1923
-
Ray Payne Feb 12, 1927
-
Alexander A. Manley May 26, 1927
-
Elsie T. Lewis Mar 3, 1928
-
Henry Francis Mills
Aug 8, 1930
-
Lee Edward Buckalew May 23, 1931
-
William Ira Latham Oct 24, 1932
-
Dumas Froy Phillips
Apr 23, 1934
-
Forest J. Harris
Feb 8, 1935
-
James M. Early Apr 15, 1935
-
Homer Earnest Poore Jun 30, 1936
-
James Tillman Moser
Jan 31, 1939
-
Newton Edward Wolff
Jul 12, 1941
-
Fred R. Brockman
Nov 3, 1953
-
Herbert C. Osborn
Jul 24, 1962
-
Azell L. Harris
May 4, 1969
-
Kenneth Lee Spencer, Jr. Jul 13, 1969
-
Henry L. Thompson Oct 16, 1972
-
Felix Underwood Oct 7, 1973
-
William Stanley Jones Aug 9, 1975
-
James Earl Rhodes Mar 11, 1978
-
Albert Eugene Ballard
Nov 29, 1979
-
Edward K. Alley, Jr.
Dec 25, 1980
-
Robert D. Patterson
Oct 31, 1982
-
Marcus Lawrence Reid Apr 7, 1984
-
Sharon K. Robinson
Apr 7, 1984
-
Frank H. Dunn Oct 14, 1986
-
John Martin Huffman
May 21, 1992
-
Robert Sanderson
Jan 29, 1998
-
Joseph Jerome Daniels
Nov 18, 2002
-
Carlos Winston Owen
Jun 17, 2004
-
Harley Alfred Chisholm, III
Jun 17, 2004
-
C. Robert Bennett
Jun 17, 2004
-
WyTasha Lamar Carter
Jan 13, 2019
-
Randall Versie Smith
Dec 28, 2020
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 59-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
48 officers from Birmingham Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
