Park Police Officer

Harry Wilcox

Chattanooga Police Department — Chattanooga, TN
Felonious
End of Watch January 18, 1979
Age 69
Tour of Duty 32 yrs
Badge 238
The Vigil Panel 121 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Wilcox was shot and killed while on foot patrol in a city park around 9:30 p.m. Other officers began searching for him after locating an unsecured portion of the park that should have been secured by Officer Wilcox. His body was found in a bathroom with a wound inflicted with his own weapon. A suspect was later charged with the murder after being taken into custody on an unrelated charge. The suspect was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. Officer Wilcox had been with the agency for 32 years.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

32 years. You could have gone home.
Park Police Officer Wilcox gave the Chattanooga Police Department 32 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Chattanooga community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Park Police Officer Wilcox.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Chattanooga, Hamilton County, TN
Platform Identity cpd.hamilton.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 18, 1979
Tour of Duty 32 yrs
Age 69
Badge Number 238
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Harry is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1979, 136 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 31st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Harry was 69. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Harry had served 32 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% 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 officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Chattanooga Police Department has 27 officers remembered here, Harry among them.

VI

Where

Park Police Officer Harry Wilcox

Chattanooga Police Department · End of Watch January 18, 1979

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 46-E

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