Maine State Police, Maine
End of Watch Thursday, July 9, 1964
Add to My HeroesCharles Clinton Black
Trooper Charles Black was shot and killed while responding to a bank robbery at First National Bank of Biddeford in South Berwick, Maine just before 10 a.m.
Trooper Black was off-duty that day, but was required to report to the municipal courthouse behind the bank to prosecute a traffic violation. He was in uniform when he responded to shouts from civilians on the street that the bank was being robbed.
As the two suspects ran from the bank one of them spotted Trooper Black and shot him five times. A bystander grabbed Trooper Black's service revolver and apprehended one of the suspects who had slipped and fallen behind. The other suspect was captured later that day in New Hampshire.
Both suspects were convicted of Trooper Black's murder and sentenced to life in prison. Both were convicted felons who had been released from prison - one of them only a week prior to the fatal bank robbery. Following their life sentence for Trooper Black's murder, both men were paroled in 1972.
Trooper Black was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Maine State Police for six years. He was survived by his pregnant wife, who gave birth to a son, by his two other young sons, and by his sister and brother.
The agency's annual Trooper of the Year award was named in his honor.
Bio
- Age 28
- Tour 6 years
- Badge Not available
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Handgun; .22 caliber
- Offender Paroled in 1972
Most Recent Reflection
View all 28 ReflectionsI just can't understand sometimes the argument of a broken, biased and unfair justice system that seems to be continuously argued today when it continuously appears as if the only unjust and biased decisions of that system seem to be against our LEO's. I don't know what was behind the decision of paroling two convicted felons who had not only just committed a bank robbery, but killed a LEO in the process, and not knowing the factors and what was behind it, I'll yield to my ignorance and not comment further on it. Instead, I'll focus on the amazing job this web site does to focus on the memories and sacrifices of the amazing men and women who came before us. Amazing men like you Trooper Black whose service will not only always be honored and remembered, but whose heroic actions and sacrifice that day will never, ever be forgotten. THANK YOU and rest in peace always sir.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo
Delaware State Police (Retired)
July 9, 2020
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