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Trooper

David C. Yarrington

Delaware State Police — Dover, DE

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 6, 1972

Age 24

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Badge 170

The Vigil Panel 109 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 20

Incident

Trooper David Yarrington and Trooper Ronald Carey were shot and killed in Pennsylvania by the female accomplice of a suspect they were struggling with. The troopers were investigating an armed robbery at a motel on U.S. Route 202 near the Pennsylvania state line when they noticed the suspect's vehicle at a nearby hotel just over the state line. When they began to investigate the vehicle, they became engaged in a struggle with the 30-year-old male suspect. During the struggle, his 19-year-old girlfriend shot both troopers. Trooper Carey died on the scene, and Trooper Yarrington succumbed to his wounds the next day. The next day a Maryland state trooper spotted the suspects, who refused to stop. During the high-speed chase near Centreville, the trooper fired a shot through the back window, the bullet lodging in the man's head, killing him. After his car crashed, the trooper took custody of his girlfriend. She told officials the troopers were beating her boyfriend to death. She said she pulled a revolver from her dress that accidentally discharged SIX times. Law enforcement regarded the couple, who lived in Canada, as a modern-day "Bonnie and Clyde." They had committed several armed robberies all over Michigan and Ohio. The man had served a sentence in the Ohio Penitentiary for armed robbery. The female was convicted of two counts of armed robbery and was sentenced to death. Her sentence was later commuted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to life in prison. As of 2017, she was in prison. Trooper Yarrington was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Delaware State Police for just under 3 years. He and Trooper Carey became troopers at the same time.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-DE-93AC8AED
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. David is one person.

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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.
Trooper Yarrington gave the Delaware State Police 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Delaware, 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 Delaware State Police

Type State Police

Location Dover, DE

Platform Identity dsp.de.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 6, 1972

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 24

Badge Number 170

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

David C. Yarrington served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper David C. Yarrington is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In DE, 25 of 51 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 49% of this state's fallen. That is 49 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Delaware State Police, 9 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Delaware State Police

of 21 officers

42.9% Felonious

DE — Statewide

of 51 officers

49% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious