Escambia County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch: Sunday, January 30, 1966
Age: 56
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: January 30, 1966
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Knife
Suspect Info: Died in prison
Deputy Joseph Gassman was stabbed to death while attempting to arrest a fugitive for aggravated assault.
When he informed the suspect that he was under arrest the man pulled out a concealed knife and stabbed him several times.
The man was strangled to death on February 28th, 2010, by another inmate while serving a life sentence at Zephyrhills Correctional Institution.
Deputy Gassman had been with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office for nine years. He was survived by his wife and three children.