Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch: Friday, May 27, 1988
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: 3855
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 27, 1988
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Police Officer Kenneth Collings was shot and killed while working a uniformed off-duty security job at a local bank at W. McDowell Road and 21rst Avenue.
He was in the process of arresting two robbery suspects at a Valley National Bank branch when one of the suspects opened fire, fatally wounding him. One of the men was arrested shortly thereafter. The second suspect was arrested in Mexico in June 2000 after being wounded in a shootout with police.
The man was extradited to Arizona after state prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. In November 2002 he was sentenced to life in prison.
Officer Collings was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Phoenix Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his mother and four sisters.