Douglas Edward Wendel was a 41-year-old Richmond Police Department officer and five-year veteran who was killed in the line of duty on July 30, 2003. While responding to a reported suspected drug dealer near East 33rd Street and Midlothian Turnpike in the city’s southside, Officer Wendel approached a suspect to ask for identification. A struggle followed and the individual fired four shots; Wendel was struck in the neck, the back of the head, and the shoulder. A 911 call reporting an officer down came in at about 5:27 p.m. and Wendel was taken to MCV Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A manhunt led to an arrest several days later; the suspect was charged with capital murder. The case went through the legal process and on December 10, 2003 the individual was convicted of first-degree and capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. Wendel was a husband and father of three young children. His funeral was held at St. Paul’s Baptist Church and a memorial fund was established in his name at the Richmond Police Department Credit Union.

If anyone has information about Officer Wendel’s final call or the events that evening, please share what you know.