Charles Edward Parsley
Agency patch
Commissioner

Charles Edward Parsley

Fort Worth Police Department — Fort Worth, TX
Felonious
End of Watch September 28, 1917
Age 52
Tour of Duty 5 mo
The Vigil Panel 33 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Commissioner Ed Parsley was shot and killed in his office at City Hall on Throckmorton and Tenth Street by a disgruntled former police officer at 2:40 p.m.

While Commissioner Parsley was sitting at his desk, the subject shot him twice, killing him instantly. Responding officers shot and killed the suspect before he could flee City Hall.

Commissioner Parsley had served as the commissioner of the Fort Worth Police Department for five months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and son.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Commissioner Parsley served with the Fort Worth Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Commissioner Parsley.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Fort Worth, Denton County, TX
Platform Identity fwpd.tarrant.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 28, 1917
Tour of Duty 5 mo
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Charles 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 1917, 165 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 19th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Charles was 52. 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. Charles had served 0.4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

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; unknown type, in 9.5% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Fort Worth Police Department has 59 officers remembered here, Charles among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Commissioner Charles Edward Parsley

Fort Worth Police Department · End of Watch September 28, 1917

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 26-E

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