Officer Barry W. Headricks

Barry W. Headricks

Officer Barry Headricks was shot and killed while participating in an undercover narcotics raid.

In coordination with Metro agents, Officers Headricks and Schwarz, posing as a buyer and money man, went to the apartment door of a known heroin dealer with guns drawn but not visible. The other Metro agents and the deputy county attorney positioned themselves, supposedly out of sight of the apartment, in the hallway. Officer Headricks knocked on the door. It was opened by a suspect who apparently did see one of the other agents behind Officers Headricks and Schwarz. The suspect then attempted to shut the door. Officer Headricks, in a low voice, announced that he was a police officer and managed to gain entrance to the apartment. The suspect continued to try to shut the door, catching Officer Schwarz half in and half out of the apartment. Officer Schwarz and other agents forced the door open and rushed inside. Officer Headricks went into the apartment's only bedroom. Officer Schwarz and one other officer held the suspect on the floor and handcuffed him. Another officer held a second suspect, against a wall. Other officers told a third suspect to 'freeze.' After all these officers were in the apartment, gunfire was heard from the bedroom.

Officer Headricks' .38 revolver and another suspect's 380 automatic handgun had each been emptied. The fourth suspect sustained one wound in his buttocks. A fifth, female suspect, who had been lying on the bed, was struck in the thigh by a bullet, rolled off the bed, and crawled into the bedroom closet. The second suspect was struck in the head by a bullet that came through the bedroom wall. Officer Headricks was hit by approximately five bullets; he came out of the bedroom, mumbled something like 'he's down' and collapsed in the living room. Three officers then entered the bedroom while others summoned emergency assistance. All four victims were transported to hospitals for medical care. Officer Headricks died of his wounds."

Officer Headricks was able to return fire and wound the dealer suspect, who was sentenced to life in prison and was paroled in March 2000.

Officer Headricks had served with the agency for five years.