White House Police Force, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 1, 1950
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: One killed; One Apprehended
Officer Leslie Coffelt was shot and killed when two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to shoot their way into Blair House, the temporary residence of President Harry S. Truman, in Washington, DC.
One of the suspects was shot and killed by Officer Coffelt and the other was caught and sentenced to prison. The suspect who was arrested was pardoned in 1979 after serving 29 years and was deported to Puerto Rico, where he died in 1994.
Officer Coffelt was a WWII veteran and had served with the White House Police Force for 15 years. He had previously served with the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department from 1929 to 1936 and from 1941 to 1942. He is survived by his wife and daughter and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.