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Sergeant

Richard Carrero Mendez

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch October 12, 2023

Age 50

Tour of Duty 22 yrs 11 mo

The Vigil Panel 400 · Column 4 · Line 5 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 378

Incident

Sergeant Richard Mendez was shot and killed at the Philadelphia International Airport's Garage D at about 11:00 p.m.

He and his partner arrived in the parking garage, preparing to start their shift, when they observed subjects breaking into a vehicle. As they approached the men, the subjects fired at them. Sergeant Mendez was struck multiple times, and his partner was shot in the arm.

Sergeant Mendez was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he succumbed to his wounds at 11:34 p.m.

The suspects fled in a stolen vehicle. One of the suspects, who died from gunshot wounds, was dropped off at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The rest of the suspects remained at large until October 16, 2023, when an 18-year-old suspect and two others, ages 21, were arrested. In 2025, the 18-year-old was found guilty of first, second, and third-degree murder and other offenses and was sentenced to life in prison, followed by 25-50 years. One of the 21-year-olds was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder. Almost two years later, thirteen men were indicted for their involvement in a multi-state car theft ring, which was tied to Sergeant Mendez's death.

Sergeant Mendez had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for almost 23 years and was assigned to the Airport Unit.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Mendez gave the Philadelphia Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Mendez.

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

Agency

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 12, 2023

Tour of Duty 22 yrs 11 mo

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Richard is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2023, 61 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 123rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Richard was 50. 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. Richard had served 22.9 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%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun; unknown type, in 9.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded