Deputy Sheriff

Thomas W. Mendina

Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office — Kansas City, KS
Felonious
End of Watch March 4, 1956
Age 28
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 2 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Mendina was struck and killed by a driver while stopping to assist another officer who was checking two suspicious men on K-32. As Deputy Mendina stepped out of his patrol car and joined the other officer they both were struck. The other officer suffered a broken arm. The 21-year-old driver, who fled from the scene, was later arrested and tried for manslaughter. His first trial ended with a hung jury. His second trial ended when the judge declared a mistrial. In November of 1958 the driver was sentenced to 115 days in jail after he was involved in another accident while his license was revoked.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Deputy Sheriff Mendina gave the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Mendina.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Kansas City, Wyandotte County, KS
Platform Identity wcso.wyandotte.ks.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1956
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 2 mo
Age 28
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Thomas 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 1956, 47 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 141st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Thomas was 28. 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. Thomas had served 1.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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 automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office has 10 officers remembered here, Thomas among them.

Deputy Sheriff Thomas W. Mendina

Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch March 4, 1956

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 18-W

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