Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Sunday, March 18, 1962
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 24 years, 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 18, 1962
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 12 gauge
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1972
Sergeant Gundel was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, for assault. Officers saw the man entering a building through a window and as Sergeant Gundel approached he was shot twice with a 16-gauge shotgun. The suspect was apprehended and charged with murder.
The suspect was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison. He was paroled in March of 1972. On June 28, 1972, he and three other inmates were arrested and charged with robbing and beating a 72 year-old man to death. The murder occurred in the man's home near the Schuylkill County Prison in 1969. It was determined that due to lax security the inmates had escaped from the prison and returned without being noticed.
Sergeant Gundel was a veteran of the Pennsylvania National Guard and served with the Pennsylvania State Police for almost 25 years. He was survived by his wife and three sons.