Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch Friday, March 26, 1999
Add to My HeroesMarc Todd Atkinson
Police Officer Marc Atkinson was shot and killed after being ambushed by suspected drug traffickers.
Officer Atkinson was driving a marked patrol car while following the suspects, who turned a corner, stopped their vehicle, and waited for him on North 30th Avenue just north of West Catalina Drive. As he turned the corner, the three suspects opened fire, striking him twice in the head, killing him. A citizen who witnessed the incident engaged the suspects in a gunfight with his own weapon, seriously wounding one. The other two suspects fled but were later arrested.
Officer Atkinson was a United States Marine Corps Operation Desert Storm veteran who served as a law enforcement officer for five years. He is survived by his wife and six-month-old child.
Bio
- Age 28
- Tour 5 years
- Badge 5930
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Handgun
- Offender Three suspects arrested
Most Recent Reflection
View all 134 ReflectionsI wish I was better with words because I have a hard time expressing what knowing Marc meant to me, and how I grieved after his death. I knew Marc from when I worked in PACE and we would talk almost nightly when he would call in his reports. Marc was extraordinarily kind, one of the most caring people I had ever met. He took the time to write a commendation for me to my supervisor which surprised and meant the world to me. He was smart and funny, and exceptionally professional, and just one of the most genuinely good people. His funeral was one of the most heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring experiences of my life.
I am still heartbroken over his loss and devastated for his family having not had him in their lives all these years.
23 years later, Marc, #5930, I think of you often. Thank you for being my friend. My deepest sympathies to your family.
Denise Fornara #A3465
Phoenix PD, PACE
May 25, 2022
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