Police Officer Robert Tyrone Kearse, Sr., Columbus Police Department, Georgia

Police Officer Robert Tyrone Kearse, Sr.

Columbus Police Department, Georgia

End of Watch Thursday, May 11, 2006

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Robert Tyrone Kearse, Sr.

Police Officer Robert Kearse suffered a fatal asthma attack while en route to an alarm call at 9:00 p.m.

Earlier in the evening, Officer Kearse had responded to a disturbance at a park where he and other officers broke up multiple fights. Immediately afterward, he checked in with dispatch and was winded. While on his way to an alarm call, he called dispatch in distress at 18th Avenue and Wynnton. Officers arrived on the scene and found him unresponsive. Despite life-saving measures, he was unable to be revived.

Officer Kearse was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Columbus Police Department for eight months. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Bio

Age 39
Tour 8 months
Badge Not available
Military Veteran

Incident Details

Cause Duty related illness

fight call, disturbance, alarm

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Most Recent Reflection

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Thank you to all the law enforcement officers, civilian personnel, family and friends who assisted with the re-investigation of Officer Robert T. Kearse's death investigation. Without your unselfish efforts and time this would not have reached the ODMP. I want to thank the Kearse family for trusting the Columbus Police Department and Robert's colleagues to make an effort to get his death recognized as a line of duty death. We did not succeed on that front but, we did get him on the Officer Down Memorial Page. That is a win for his community and the country that Robert served until God called him home.

I am forever grateful to the retired/active/ officers as well as officers who are currently working with other agencies who took the time out of their busy schedules to give their account of what happened to Robert on the day of his death. I salute all of you for your unwavering commitment to help me with this assignment.

Thursday May 11, 2006 will forever be a day of celebration for a life well lived by Officer Robert T. Kearse Jr.

V/r
J. Dent-Fitzpatrick, Assistant Chief
Columbus, Georgia Police Department

January 27, 2025