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Police Officer Robert D. Patterson | Birmingham Police Department, Alabama
Birmingham Police Department, Alabama

Police Officer

Robert D. Patterson

Birmingham Police Department, Alabama

End of Watch: Sunday, October 31, 1982

Biographical Info

Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: October 31, 1982
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available

Police Officer Robert Patterson was shot and killed by another officer who mistook him for an offender.

Officer Patterson was working plainclothes, secondary employment job at a nightclub on Morris Avenue. He had broken up a fight between two women and disarmed one of them who had pulled out a knife. As Officer Patterson walked the woman out of the nightclub he encountered an on-duty officer who was unaware of what had just occurred and mistook Officer Patterson as an offender who was holding a woman at knifepoint.

The officer grabbed Officer Patterson's arm and shot him. Officer Patterson died in surgery a short time later.