Bio & Incident Details
Age: 45
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 7/1/1917
Weapon: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect: Not available
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Detective Sergeant Samuel Coppedge and Detective Frank Wadley were shot and killed during a race riot.
Earlier in the day a car occupied by white males had driven through a black area of the city and fired several shots randomly into a group of citizens. An hour later the detectives were driving through the same area and were mistaken for the original suspects. Several citizens opened fire on their car, killing both detectives.
The shootings sparked a massive race riot in the city.
Detective Coppedge was survived by his wife and is buried at Saint James Cemetery in Saint James, Missouri.
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Detective Frank Wadley |



