Brunswick Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch: Friday, April 11, 2003
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 1 day
Badge Number: 430
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 11, 2003
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Officer Melvin Collins was shot and killed when he intervened in a robbery while working an off-duty job at a grocery store at 3915 Darien Highway.
Two men came into the store and attempted to rob it. When one of the suspects fired two shots past a female clerk's head, Officer Collins identified himself as a police officer and exchanged shots with the two suspects.
Although mortally wounded, Officer Collins struck one of the suspects in the hand and was able to subdue him with the help of two off-duty U.S. Marshals who were also in the store. The second suspect fled into a nearby marsh where he was apprehended the following day. The suspect was convicted of murdering Officer Collins in 2003 in Brunswick, Georgia and received a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
Officer Collins had just graduated from the academy and was to have his ceremonial swearing-in on the following Monday, three days after he was killed. He is survived by his wife and two children.