Detective Bobby W. Branham

Detective Branham died following surgery for complications of a gunshot wound he received in the line of duty 41 years earlier.

The incident occurred on the night of July 16, 1972, during an undercover stakeout of an East Oak Street home police suspected was the base for a prostitution ring.

Detective Branham had parked his personal car in a nearby parking lot and was sitting in another vehicle conducting surveillance with his partner, Detective James Stephenson. While doing so, Detective Branham saw two men steal a police radio from his car.

While Detective Branham chased the two suspects, Detective Stephenson, who had stayed behind, was approached by three other men. The three men, apparently not knowing he was a police officer, asked if he would help them rob two patrons of the home police were monitoring.

Detective Stephenson identified himself as a police officer and grabbed two of the men before the third fled.

At about the same time, Detective Branham returned with one of the two suspects in the alleged radio theft.

That's when another man approached the two detectives with a pistol.

Detective Branham, dressed in street clothes, identified himself as a police officer and showed his badge. The man continued, raised his pistol, and fired at almost point blank range, hitting Detective Branham.

Detective Stephenson shot the assailant. The assailant fled but was later caught by detectives who followed the suspect's trail of blood to a nearby house.

Ivan Ray Jackson Jr., 23, was later convicted in regard to the shooting.

Detective Branham nearly died from his injuries at the time of the shooting. He spent over eight months in the hospital and had eight surgeries during that period. He underwent additional surgeries over the years afterward.

Detective Branham began his Public Safety career as a Louisville Firefighter and eventually followed his passion and moved to the police department. He considered himself "extremely lucky" to do the work he truly loved and often said he would have been a police officer "even if they didn't pay me." He worked in several areas, including Patrol and Vice, and he was a member of the Dive Team. He was recognized as Officer of the Year in 1969 and received the Mayor's Award in 1973.

Following his medical retirement, he eventually served as Chief of Detectives for the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Louisville.