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Officer

Raymond Leroy Wheeler

Metro Nashville Police Department — Nashville, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch November 6, 1973

Age 22

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

The Vigil Panel 247 · Column 1 · Line 20 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 19

Incident

Officer Raymond Wheeler was shot and killed while he and his partner searched three juvenile suspects in the parking lot of the juvenile detention center. During the search, one of the juveniles produced a .22 caliber handgun and opened fire. Officer Wheeler jumped in front of his partner and was struck in the head. Officer Wheeler was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wound early the next morning. The suspect attempted to flee but was captured. The 17-year-old suspect and his 17-year-old accomplice were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison on November 29, 1974. The accomplice was paroled in 1984. On February 18, 1985, he robbed a man at gunpoint and then raped his wife. He was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to 30 years. The rape victim refused to go to court because she did not want others to know who she was. Officer Wheeler was a U.S. Army Vietnam War veteran and served with the Metro Nashville Police Department for one year.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Wheeler gave the Metro Nashville Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Metro Nashville Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Nashville, Davidson County, TN

Platform Identity mnpd.davidson.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 6, 1973

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 22

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Raymond Leroy Wheeler served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Raymond is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1973, 171 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 17th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Raymond was 22. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Raymond had served 1 year; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded