Atlanta Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch: Saturday, October 20, 1973
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 10 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 20, 1973
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 10 years
Detective Clarence Harris was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance at the Atlanta Theater at 583 Peachtree Street, NE.
He was working his secondary job at the Atlanta Theater when he attempted to break up a fight between two men. During the struggle, one of the subjects grabbed Detective Harris' gun. When Detective Harris tried to take back his gun, he was struck. A teenager was wounded while trying to assist Detective Harris.
On March 1, 1974, the suspect, 19, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years.
In March 1973, Detective Harris was shot in the face during a narcotics search.
Detective Harris was a U.S. Marine Corps Purple Heart recipient of the Vietnam War and had served with the Atlanta Police Department for almost 2 years. He was survived by his wife and a newborn daughter.