Kansas City Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Tuesday, November 26, 1968
Age: 21
Tour of Duty: 10 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 26, 1968
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1997
Patrolman Yoakum was shot and killed after responding with two other officers to a disturbance. The first officer to arrive entered without backup and was disarmed by a suspect inside. When Patrolman Yoakum and his partner arrived, Patrolman Yoakum was shot and killed and his partner was wounded.
The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled in 1997. On February 11, 1998, he was charged with violating his parole after he was jailed for assaulting a Missouri state trooper who pulled him over for speeding.
Patrolman Yoakum had been with the agency 10 months and served as a member of the Corps of Military Police for the United States Army.