United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Thursday, June 20, 1991
Age: 68
Tour of Duty: 35 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 13, 1985
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Convicted of attempted murder
Deputy Marshal Bud Carlson succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained in a shootout with two prisoners during an escape attempt in Amnicon, Wisconsin, on August 13th, 1985.
He and another deputy marshal were transferring the suspected bank robbers from a federal prison in Michigan to one in Minnesota when they were attacked while driving on Route 2. The prisoners, who were individually handcuffed, were being transported in a car with no cage. One of the prisoners was able to slip out of his cuffs and throw a jacket over the head of the deputy marshal in the front passenger seat. The prisoner then climbed into the front and disarmed one of the deputies. He handed the gun to the other prisoner who then shot both deputies and accidentally shot the other prisoner.
The prisoners left both deputy marshals on the roadway. One of them stole their car while the other carjacked another car and fled. The wounded prisoner was arrested a short time later. The second prisoner took a citizen hostage and stole his van but was arrested while driving it in Illinois later in the day. Both were convicted of attempted murder prior to Deputy Marshal Carlson's death.
Deputy Marshal Carlson was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. He had retired from the St. Louis Park Police Department in Minnesota before joining the United States Marshals Service. He had served in law enforcement for a total of 35 years at the time he was shot.