United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Thursday, December 31, 1970
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 31, 1970
Weapon Used: Rifle; M-16
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Special Agent Leroy Halbert was shot and killed in the Khanh Hoa province of Vietnam while attempting to question several soldiers who had reportedly drawn their weapons on an MP several days earlier, and who had also cut another MP.
He and another agent had gone to So Chin village, on the Cam Ranh Bay, in search of the soldiers who were known to frequent a local bar. They arrived at the bar to find it closed, and as they talked to the proprietor's daughter the soldiers drove up.
As the soldiers exited their truck one of them confronted the other agent, jammed the barrel of his M-16 rifle in the agent's stomach, and yelled that he was going to kill him. During the ensuing struggle over the rifle, the agent was able to pull out his sidearm and shot the suspect. During this time Agent Halbert was engaged in a struggle with three other soldiers. Agent Halbert was disarmed and two of the soldiers were pointing weapons at him.
The other agent shot one of the soldiers just as the soldier shot Agent Halbert in the head. A passing GI was flagged down and transported Agent Halbert to a hospital, where he succumbed to his wound. The other agent also took one of the wounded suspects to the hospital, where he also died.