Florida Highway Patrol, Florida
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 19, 1978
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 11 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 19, 1978
Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Trooper Alvin Kohler was shot and killed in Miami when he stopped to help a disabled motorist.
Trooper Kohler requested a tow truck and started writing the 15-year-old driver a citation for failure to comply with a restriction on his license. When the tow truck arrived, the youth opened fire with a handgun killing the trooper and the tow truck driver. The suspect and a 13-year-old companion then fled in the tow truck. Minutes later they were captured by two Florida City police officers.
The shooter was convicted of two counts of murder and robbery and sentenced to three life terms in prison. As of November 22, 2020, he was in prison.
Trooper Kohler was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 11 months.