Miami Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Thursday, May 8, 1969
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 7, 1969
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Police Officer Ronald McLeod was shot from his motorcycle and killed when he stopped to question a robbery suspect at the intersection of NW Miami Court and NW 13th Street.
The suspect was captured one week later in Memphis, Tennessee, after a gun battle with police.
On the return trip to Florida, with two Dade County deputies in a marked patrol car, near Oxford, Alabama, the suspect managed to grab one of the deputy's service revolvers. He forced them to pull off the road and flag down a passing motorist. He handcuffed the motorist and one deputy to the patrol car and then forced the other deputy to drive him away. Minutes later several Alabama state troopers intercepted the patrol car. During a 50 mile pursuit, the suspect fired several shots at the troopers. The troopers would not fire back for fear of hitting the deputy. The deputy crashed the car near Pell City, Alabama. Finding himself surrounded by several troopers, the suspect gave up.
The 22-year-old man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on October 16th, 1970. His sentence was later commuted to life. As of November 15th, 2020, the suspect was still in prison.
Officer McLeod was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Miami Police Department for nine years. He was survived by his wife and three children.