Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado
Agency patch
Sergeant

Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch October 12, 2016
Age 51
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Luis Meléndez-Maldonado was shot and killed as he and other agents were conducting a narcotics trafficking investigation at the Residencial Pedro J. Palou in Humacao, Puerto Rico, at approximately 2:00 pm.

As the officers arrived at the scene they encountered a subject walking in the complex with a rifle. The man opened fire on the officers, killing Sergeant Meléndez-Maldonado. As the man opened fire, two other subjects emerged from a nearby minivan and fired at other officers. The officers returned fire and wounded both men.

All three subjects were taken into custody. It is believed that the group had gone to the public housing complex to murder a rival drug dealer.

On January 16th, 2019, the subjects were convicted of Sergeant Meléndez-Maldonado's murder.

Sergeant Meléndez-Maldonado had served with the Puerto Rico Police Department for 30 years and was assigned to the Humacao Drug Division.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

30 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Meléndez-Maldonado gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Meléndez-Maldonado.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Juan, 127
Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 12, 2016
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Age 51
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Rifle

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Luis 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2016, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 78th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Luis was 51. 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. Luis had served 30 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was rifle, in 5.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Puerto Rico Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Luis among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch October 12, 2016

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 18-W

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