Patrolman Thomas Glen Tompkins was 31 and had been with the Shreveport Police Department for eight months when he was killed on the evening of Friday, October 20, 1978. He was transporting a man arrested for causing a disturbance at the Dragon Lounge. The arrestee, Wayne Robert Felde, was an escapee from a Maryland prison who had been serving time for manslaughter and was reportedly carrying a handgun purchased for him by his sister. During the transport, Felde retrieved the concealed weapon and shot Tompkins in the back. The police car, driven by Tompkins, stopped against a guard rail; Felde fled but was later found and was shot and wounded by other officers before being taken into custody.

Felde was tried, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death; he was executed ten years after the shooting. Tompkins was survived by his wife and two children. The case remained a significant and tragic event for the Shreveport community and local law enforcement. Does anyone have memories of Patrolman Tompkins or information about that night that could add to the record?