Russell D. Mestdagh

Kansas City Police Department — Kansas City, MO

Veteran → Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 2, 1975

Age 26

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 115 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 119

Incident

Police Officer Russell Mestdagh was shot and killed during a robbery at Traxler Pharmacy at 651 East 59th Street in Kansas City. At 3:30 p.m., Officer Mestagh and his partner responded to a hold-up alarm at the pharmacy. He was shot four times as he confronted the suspects inside the store. One suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison and 40 years for robbery. A second suspect was sentenced to life and 50 years for robbery. A third suspect was sentenced to 10 years for robbery. Officer Mestdagh was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Kansas City Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his son, mother, stepfather, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-2BAEC000
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, salute.nw. One record, 3 gates. Russell 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 Mestdagh gave the Kansas City Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City 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 Kansas City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Kansas City, MO

Platform Identity kcpd.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 2, 1975

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Russell D. Mestdagh served in the U.S. Army (1968â1971) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Russell D. Mestdagh 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Kansas City Police Department, 72 of 120 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Kansas City Police Department

of 120 officers

60% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious