Pensacola Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Friday, September 12, 1980
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 5 months
Badge Number: 174
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 12, 1980
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Officer Amos Cross was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance on North D Street. He was shot in the face with a shotgun by a 19-year-old man as he approached the door. The suspect exchanged gunfire with other officers who shot and wounded him and then took him into custody. One officer was shot in the wrist and leg by the suspect. When officers went in the backyard they found his father lying on the ground, dead from a shotgun blast fired by his son.
The suspect was was declared insane and sent to a mental institution. In 1983 he was deemed sane. A year later he was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to two life terms to be served consecutively. He will be eligible for parole in 2033. As of November 25, 2020, he was in prison.
Officer Cross had served with the agency for 17 months. He was survived by his wife and three children. He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran.