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Police Officer Claude C. Smith | St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri

Police Officer

Claude C. Smith

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri

End of Watch: Wednesday, April 24, 1974

Biographical Info

Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 24, 1974
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Not available

Police Officer Claude Smith was shot and killed while assisting a sheriff's deputy search for a wanted man on the eighth floor of a building in the Vaughn Housing Project, at 1101 North 18th Street.

During the search, an unrelated man mistook Officer Smith for a child molester believed to be in the area and shot him. Officer Smith was off duty when he agreed to assist the sheriff's deputy.

Officer Smith had been a member of the St. Louis Police Department for seven years and is survived by his wife and 6-month-old son.