Officer Fred Earl Babb

Officer Fred Earl Babb

Apalachicola Police Department, Florida

End of Watch Friday, December 1, 1967

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Fred Earl Babb

Officer Babb was shot and killed by a man wanted for robbery and larceny of an automobile. A sequence of events started when the suspect, (a recently released prisoner), helped break a prisoner out of a Arcadia prison camp. He then drove a stolen car to Tallahassee where he robbed a woman of $100 in cash and then stole her car. When he ran out of gas the suspect was given a ride to Apalachicola where he stole a deputy sheriff's patrol car. Officer Babb spotted the suspect, gave chase, and cornered the suspect at the end of a dead end street. In an exchange of gunfire Officer Babb was hit three times and killed instantly.

The suspect fled in the patrol car to Port St. Joe where he sped past a police road block. Officers riddled the windshield with pistol and shotgun fire, causing the suspect to crash. The suspect fled from the vehicle but was later captured after he was found hiding under a nearby house.

The suspect, 28, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death on April 2, 1968. His sentence was commuted to life in 1972. He escaped from prison in 1979 but was quickly captured.

Bio

  • Age 37
  • Tour Not available
  • Badge Not available

Incident Details

  • Cause Gunfire
  • Weapon Handgun; .357 caliber
  • Offender Apprehended

Most Recent Reflection

View all 15 Reflections

Thoughts and prayers remain with the Babb Family as their sacrifices have not been forgotten. Officer Fred Babb is truly a hero public servant who placed his community's safety ahead of his own. While Officer Babb's life was preceded by mine, and his death soon after I was born, it's comforting to know that the proud law enforcement traditions of service to others first remain today in the area I call home. My thoughts also remain with the members of the Apalachicola Police Department, Port St. Joe Police, Franklin County Sheriff's Office, and the Gulf County Sheriff's Office.

Gary Howze, Director
Florida Office of the Attorney General

December 3, 2020

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