Florida Highway Patrol
Florida
End of Watch: Monday, July 13, 1981
Cause: Aircraft accident
Biographical Info
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: Not available Trooper Pruitt, Corporal Cleo Tomlinson, and Trooper Merle Cook were killed in an airplane accident while searching for two breaking and entering suspects in St. John's County.
The suspects were charged with three counts of homicide in connection with the deaths of all three troopers.
Trooper Pruitt had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 5 years. He was survived by his wife and two children. | 
