Horst Harold Woods

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services — Washington, DC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 10, 1996

Age 46

Tour of Duty 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 142 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 10

Incident

Police Officer Horst Woods was shot and killed while approaching a man who was kneeling down beside his patrol car at the New Mexico VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As Officer Woods approached the man from the opposite side of the vehicle, the man stood up. The two exchanged words and then the man raised his left arm and shot at Officer Woods. As Officer Woods turned away, he was struck once in the back of the head. The man then kept responding officers and rescue personnel from reaching Officer Woods. After a 20-minute standoff, the man surrendered to members of United States Air Force Security Police. The man was found with two extra fully loaded magazines, an 18-inch bowie knife, and a long-barreled Derringer loaded with two shotgun shells. Officer Woods was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department for eight months.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-227131E4
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. Horst 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.
Police Officer Woods served with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services.
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 Veterans Affairs Police Services

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdvapspd.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 10, 1996

Tour of Duty 8 mo

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Horst Harold Woods served in the U.S. Navy (1968â1972) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Horst Harold Woods 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 53.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services, 5 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 45.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services

of 11 officers

45.5% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious