St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Saturday, December 2, 1972
Age: 58
Tour of Duty: 29 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 2, 1972
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Police Officer Frank Glibert Dobler was shot and killed with his own service weapon by a cab driver he had told to move.
Officer Dobler was directing traffic at the intersection of Sixth and Lucas Streets when the cab stopped on a crosswalk to pickup passengers. Officer Dobler told the cabbie to move the cab to the curb to pickup passengers and shut the cab's door. The cab driver got out of the cab and assaulted Officer Dobler, pulled Officer Dobler's jacket over his head, and pushed him to the ground. During the assault the cab driver gained control of Officer Dobler's service weapon and shot him once in the head.
The suspect fled the scene in his cab. During a long series of shootouts with officers the man was finally arrested when his cab crashed after ramming a patrol car. The man was arrested but later hanged himself in his jail cell.
Officer Dobler had directed holiday shopping traffic at the intersection he was murdered at for 15 years. He had served with the St. Louis Police Department for 29 years and was survived by his wife and two children.