Olin J. Wait

Reading Police Department — Reading, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 2, 1972

Age 24

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 110 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 8

Incident

Patrolman Olin Wait succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two months earlier while providing security at a local event. Patrolman Wait and two other officers were guarding the grounds of the Reading Air Show when a off duty officer opened fire on him without warning for unknown reasons. The suspect then opened fire on another officer before fatally shooting himself in the chest. The off duty officer was attending the air show with his wife and child when he opened fire. Patrolman Wait was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Reading Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-D36E3085
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Olin 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.
Patrolman Wait gave the Reading Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Reading community, 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 Reading Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Reading, Berks County, PA

Platform Identity rpd.berks.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 2, 1972

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Olin J. Wait served in the U.S. Army (1968â1970) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Olin J. Wait 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Reading Police Department, 5 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.6% of this agency's fallen.

Reading Police Department

of 9 officers

55.6% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious