Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Sunday, August 19, 2007
Age: 64
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 7 months
Badge Number: 1410
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 27, 1966
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Acquitted of murder
Police Officer Walter Barclay succumbed to complications of a gunshot wound that he received 40 years earlier when he was shot and wounded by a burglary suspect.
Officer Barclay and another officer responded to a burglary call at a hair salon on the 6000 block of North 5th Street. When he arrived, Officer Barclay and another officer confronted a man in the rear of the location, who shot Officer Barclay twice before fleeing. The suspect also engaged additional responding officers in a gun battle, but was able to escape. Due to his wounds, Officer Barclay was left paralyzed from the waist down and forced to retire from the department.
Officer Barclay suffered numerous complications over the span of 40 years as a result of the wounds, which caused his death. His death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.
The suspect was arrested in 1966 and charged with aggravated assault. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has since been released. He was later rearrested by the Philadelphia Police Department after the death of Officer Barclay and charged with murder. On May 24, 2010, the man who shot Officer Barclay was acquitted of murder.
Police Officer Barclay was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 1 1/2 years at the time of the shooting. He is survived by his brother and sister.