Fred Babcock began his duties as a police officer for the Richfield Police Department in December 1947. 

On Friday, June 3, 1949, Fred Babcock was working an extra shift so another officer could have the night off.  Babcock and his partner Leroy Poulter were responding to a break-in and suspicious vehicle report near the National Team grocery store, according to a copy of Poulter’s 1949 report. 

Driving the squad car, Babcock dropped off Poulter to cover the side door of the store.  After finding the suspicious vehicle empty, Babcock headed toward the front of the grocery store.  Simultaneously, Poulter spotted a figure running east from the side door toward Garfield Avenue and heard Babcock shout “Get out of the car.”  Then he heard a gun shot. 

Moments later, according to the report, Poulter heard Babcock repeat his command which was again followed by a gunshot.  The shooter was standing in front of a parked car and he leveled a deer rifle and shot Officer Babcock. 

Poulter ran to the front of the building and fired six shots at a car as it sped away.  “I could not see nor hear my partner until I moved around the front of the squad car and found him lying flat on his back in the street, along side the squad car, “Poulter wrote in his report.  “He was unconscious, though breathing heavily and bleeding profusely from a bullet wound in his throat.” 

Poulter radioed for an ambulance and attempted to stop the bleeding but despite his efforts Babcock died where he had fallen. 

Police departments from all over the state aided in the manhunt to find Babcock’s killers.  One of the burglars, later identified as Gustave Johnson, surrendered peacefully to the police along the way.  Johnson denied any part in the actual shooting but identified the three remaining members of the quartet – Allen Hartman, Arthur Bistram, and Carl Bistram.  The hunt for the three remaining suspects covered several states and involved both state and federal officials.  The fugitives abducted and released several hostages while on the run.  On separate occasions, the men kidnapped three policemen; 1 16 year old boy and a 73 year old farmer; a businessman and his wife; and an elderly man, according to a document at the Richfield Historical Society. 

On June 7, 1949, all three men were captured, the same day Babcock was laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.  Hartman was sentenced to serve time in the Youth Conservation Corp.  The Bistrams were federally charged with kidnapping a peace officer and taking him across state lines, Carl Bistram was charged with Officer Babcock’s murder. 

In death, Babcock left behind his wife Lorraine and two young children.  When local veterans founded Richfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5555, they named it in honor of Babcock.  His brother Charlie became a Richfield police officer two years after his death.  (Part of this article taken from excerpts by Doug Terfehr of Sun Newspaper). 

Special thanks to:  Captain Barry Fritz of the Richfield Police Department and Officer Scott Dahlquist of the Minneapolis Police Department for the photo, and newspaper articles.