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Trooper

Bret Robert Clodfelter

Oregon State Police — Salem, OR

Felonious

End of Watch September 30, 1992

Age 34

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 138 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 30

Incident

Trooper Bret Clodfelter was shot and killed while he was transporting a suspected drunk driver to jail near Klamath Falls. Trooper Clodfelter had conducted a traffic stop of a suspected drunk driver at 12:30 a.m. He had handcuffed the driver and placed him in the back seat of his patrol car. Trooper Clodfelter offered to drive two passengers of the vehicle to their residence located nearby. Dispatchers were unable to raise Trooper Clodfelter on the radio after he advised them of the arrest and transport. Backup officers were sent to check on him. His patrol car was located four blocks away from the original traffic stop. All three suspects were missing, and Trooper Clodfelter was found in the driver’s seat. He had been shot four times in the head. A massive manhunt ensued to capture the three suspects. On October 2, 1992, tips led the police to the shooter, who was found hiding in a barn near the crime scene. The suspect had a history of assault and drug arrests. The suspect was convicted of murder and given life in prison without the possibility of parole. It was realized after his incarceration that the suspect had been in the United States illegally and had been removed to Mexico in December 1991. He returned to the U.S. and killed a Trooper Clodfelter less than 10 months later. Trooper Clodfelter had served with the Oregon State Police for 8 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter. Trooper Clodfelter’s wife, who was a sheriff's deputy, took her own life one year after his murder.

Survivors

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

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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Clodfelter gave the Oregon State Police 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Oregon. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Clodfelter.

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

Agency

Department Oregon State Police

Type State Police

Location Salem, Marion County, OR

Platform Identity osp.or.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 30, 1992

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Bret 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1992, 93 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 59th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Bret was 34. 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. Bret had served 8 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%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month

By day of the week

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