Birmingham Police Department, Alabama
End of Watch Sunday, October 31, 1982
Add to My HeroesRobert D. Patterson
Police Officer Robert Patterson was shot and killed by another officer who mistook him for an offender.
Officer Patterson was working plainclothes, secondary employment job at a nightclub on Morris Avenue. He had broken up a fight between two women and disarmed one of them who had pulled out a knife. As Officer Patterson walked the woman out of the nightclub he encountered an on-duty officer who was unaware of what had just occurred and mistook Officer Patterson as an offender who was holding a woman at knifepoint.
The officer grabbed Officer Patterson's arm and shot him. Officer Patterson died in surgery a short time later.
Bio
- Age 51
- Tour 20 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Most Recent Reflection
View all 13 ReflectionsI'm sorry ma'am, don't hang up
Nah, I ain't selling nothing
I don't know what I was thinking when I called
I guess I wasn't
Yeah, I was just down on my luck
Having some trouble with this old truck
And the guy that used to pick up
He could fix anything
Sometimes I forget these ten digits ain't my lifeline anymore
Every now and then, I dial 'em up
When life gets tough, or when I brave score
Sorry about the one ring hang-ups
Early morning and late night wake-ups
It was me, in case you wonder
You've got dad's old number
I learned it by heart, when I was six
He never did change it
I've called it in trouble
With good and bad news
And break-ups, yeah you name it
Sure I've got some friends I can call
They're always there if I need to talk
But good as they are, it ain't their fault
Sometimes I just need him
And sometimes I forget these ten digits ain't my lifeline anymore
Every now and then, I dial 'em up
When life gets tough, or when I brave score
Sorry about the one ring hang-ups
Early morning and late night wake-ups
It was just me, in case you wonder
You've got dad's old number
So I apologize in advance
'Cause there's a damn good chance
When I meet that girl
Or get that job
And I need to tell my best friend
You're probably going to hear from me again
'Cause sometimes I forget these ten digits ain't my lifeline anymore
Every now and then, I dial 'em up
When life gets tough, or when I brave score
Sorry about the one ring hang-ups
Early morning and late night wake-ups
It was just me, in case you wonder yeah
You've got dad's old number
Dad's old number
Songwriters: Chase Mcgill / Jessi Alexander
Dad, not a day goes by that I do not think about you. It is not how you died that made you my hero, it is how you lived!
Daughter
Daughter
August 24, 2018
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