These 4 men were the first Black police officers in Columbus, leading the way for others

The city of Columbus has a past stained with segregation, racism and inequality against its Black residents.

Despite the animus a group of Black men in the 1950s decided to serve their community by becoming police officers. Although they wore the Columbus Police Department uniform, they weren’t free from prejudice within the department.

Cindy Ware was a finance manager for CPD and now curates the department’s Heritage Center, which shows its history. She said CPD hired their first four Black police officers in 1952.

Those officers were Freddie Brown, Clarence White, Fred Spencer and Paul Odom. However, these officers were allowed to patrol in only Black neighborhoods, referred to as “The Bottoms.”

Brown, White, Spencer and Odom were on a walking beat in these neighborhoods and had to contact a white police officer if they encountered a white person they had issues with. These Black officers weren’t allowed to arrest a white person except under extenuating circumstances, according to Ware.

“I’m sure they had a very tough time within the department, and as that grew on, we got into the 1970s, where we had a lot of racial turmoil,” Ware said.

“I think they paved the way to get Black officers into the department, but there was much more to be done for many years after that, for the race relations within our department and within the city,” Ware said.

In the 1970s, seven Black police officers protested their treatment within the department. They wanted fair promotions and a fair chance within the department, according to Ware.

She said those officers had served in the military during the Vietnam War and felt like they were being treated worse here than there. Ware said those officers cut the American flag off their uniforms and immediately were terminated by the police chief.

“We have to take the ugly history with the good history, and we have to learn from it,” Ware said.

What started off as four Black officers in CPD eventually led to Black officers in powers of position and making history within CPD.

Here are some of the many Black officers who have made history at CPD. The information about these officers was gathered from panels outside the museum and Ledger-Enquirer reporting.

Joe Robbins

In 1970, Robbins became the first Black officer to be promoted to sergeant within CPD.

He was the only police officer that had a citywide beat then. He retired after 30 years of service with CPD.

Gwendolyn Thompson

In 1977, Thompson became the first Black female investigator in CPD. She became the first female Lieutenant in the department in 1981.

She was named one of the Top 10 Outstanding Young Georgians in 1983.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve really struggled, but it hasn’t been easy,” Thompson said, according to the panel. “Despite this ill-conceived notion that being Black and being female helps, people say, ‘Because of that, you are thus, that and the other.’ But I always say, ‘In spite of,’ I went through some tests and promotional procedures, and I think I probably got grilled a little more on oral board. Every move I have made, I took the same tests as everybody else.”

Sherri Rooks

Rooks was the first woman and first Black woman to serve on the CPD SWAT team in 1987.

Rooks told the Ledger-Enquirer at the time, “I got on it because I thought it would be fun. It may have been because I grew up as a tomboy.”

Willie Dozier

Dozier became the first Black police chief of CPD in 1999 after working through the ranks in the department for 28 years.

Dozier served five years as CPD’s police chief before retiring. He later taught criminal justice classes at Troy State University and was a consultant for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick

Dent-Fitzpatrick became the highest ranking Black woman in CPD history when she was promoted to assistant chief in 2020. She began her law-enforcement career in 1987.

She has served in various capacities in patrol, motor squad, investigative services and administrative services.

Dent-Fitzpatrick was selected as CPD Officer of the Year in 2001.

Freddie Blackmon

Blackmon became CPD’s second Black police chief in 2020.

He started his career as a patrol officer in 1986. Blackmon filled many roles, including serving on the gang task force and the tactical squad, the Metro Narcotics Task Force, the juvenile diversion unit, the training division, patrol division, the crisis negotiation team and the robbery-homicide squad.

Blackmon served as police chief until April 2023, when he accepted a severance offer.

Shirley Denise Blanding Winston

On Dec. 31, 1991, Winston was the first Black officer and first female officer to be killed in the line of duty for CPD.

She was killed in an accidental shooting when officer Thomas Keith Slay’s shotgun went off after he hit a Columbus man with the shotgun’s butt during a struggle.

The struggle occurred after Winston and Slay chased an armed man as they responded to a call about a man causing a disturbance and threatening to commit suicide on Third Avenue.

Winston was standing nearby when the shotgun went off. She died while in surgery from a single wound to her lower stomach.

Shirley Winston Park on Steam Mill Road is named in honor of Winston.

This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM.