St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 24, 1974
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: Not available
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.