Elijah Chenault
Agency patch
Constable

Elijah Chenault

Alexandria Police Department — Alexandria, VA
Felonious
End of Watch August 4, 1823
Age 48
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
The Vigil Panel 1 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Constable Elijah Chenault was killed when he was struck over the head with a stick while attempting to seize property from a woman who had failed to pay a debt.

A struggle ensued, during which the woman struck him over the head, causing a fatal wound.

The subject was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to one year in jail and fined $85. The fine was later dismissed by President James Monroe after she served her jail term.

Constable Chenault had served as a constable for Alexandria off and on for over 25 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and several children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-3C6DE58E
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

203 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Chenault gave the Alexandria Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Alexandria community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Alexandria, VA
Platform Identity apd.alexandria.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 4, 1823
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Blunt object

Constable Elijah Chenault 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In VA, 394 of 656 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.1% of this state's fallen. That is 60.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Alexandria Police Department, 13 of 17 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.5% of this agency's fallen.

Alexandria Police Department
13
of 17 officers
76.5% Felonious
VA — Statewide
394
of 656 officers
60.1% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Elijah Chenault's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Elijah Chenault Compares

Age at Death
48
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
25
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Elijah Chenault is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Elijah Chenault was killed by blunt object.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909