Officer

Darrell Jean Windhaus

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations — Washington, DC

Cardiac Veteran

End of Watch December 29, 2013

Age 71

Tour of Duty 42 yrs

Badge INDIA-7458

The Vigil Panel 163 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 38

Incident

Officer Darrell Windhaus suffered a fatal heart attack at the Brownsville Seaport, in Brownsville, Texas, after boarding a ship to conduct an inspection.

He collapsed on the deck after climbing a 100-foot ladder to board the oil tanker M/T Chemtrans Sky. Paramedics immediately responded to the scene but were unable to revive him.

Officer Windhaus was a United States Army veteran and had served with the United States Customs and Border Protection, as well as its predecessor, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, for 42 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his daughter, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-6D8C50AF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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 Windhaus gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 42 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdhscbpofofed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 29, 2013

Tour of Duty 42 yrs

Age 71

Badge Number INDIA-7458

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Darrell Jean Windhaus served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Darrell Jean Windhaus is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 71 of 1,419 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, 3 of 39 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 7.7% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations

of 39 officers

7.7% Cardiac

DC — Statewide

of 1,419 officers

5% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Darrell Jean Windhaus's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Darrell Jean Windhaus Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 48.6 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 15.6 years

When Cardiac Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Darrell Jean Windhaus is highlighted in Dec.

Jan

124

Feb

105

Mar

Apr

116

May

115

Jun

Jul

Aug

104

Sep

109

Oct

121

Nov

113

Dec

111

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

38 officers from United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.