Shelane Dawn Bryant Gaydos

Fairfax County Police Department — Fairfax, VA

Suicide Honored

End of Watch June 12, 2015

Age 36

The Vigil Panel 164 ›

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Biography

Effervescent, Loving, Playful, Dedicated, Ambitious Shelane had a way about her. Her beautiful smile and contagious laugh filled a room when she entered. She was enthusiastic and determined – the definition of a Type A personality. She was petite but strong. Kind and compassionate, and a leader. Raised in a military family, she lived in five states, plus Germany, all before high school. Throughout all the changes, she made friends easily and quickly, and helped care for her younger siblings when their father was deployed. Dedicated to her own family, Shelane especially loved being a ‘hands-on’ mom to her three girls, Nadia, Sofia, and Olivia. She volunteered for their school activities, girl scout troops, and was an assistant lacrosse coach for her daughter’s team. Shelane was a wizard at planning the girls’ birthday parties, intent on making each girl feel special. She loved the birthday tradition her mother created, of being woken up with a blueberry muffin with a lit candle atop it and a happy birthday serenade, and continued it with her own girls. Shelane loved to run, participating in races for all different causes. She talked her younger brother, Shawn, and sister, Sarah, into running a half marathon with her. She crossed the finish line holding her brother’s hand, with their sister just behind them. She also convinced her husband, Brian, to join her in a triathlon, despite him explaining he wasn’t a strong swimmer. When he had to be rescued during the swim portion, that was finally enough to convince her not to ask again — although Brian would have done anything she asked. The two met when he was the police officer called to the scene of Shelane’s sister’s fender bender, and were married nine years. Shelane’s fitness was an asset to her job as a police officer. She once caught two fleeing suspects on foot after a vehicle pursuit turned into a foot pursuit, hurdling a fence to get to them. Shelane loved being a police officer and helping others, and wanted to remain with the Fairfax County Police Department through retirement. She received numerous individual and team awards for service to the community and meritorious awards as a detective.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-2151B725
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

Officer Shelane Gaydos served with the Fairfax County Police Department.
Thank you for your service. We will always remember your sacrifice.
You belong on this wall. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Fairfax County Police Department

Location Fairfax, VA

Platform Identity fcpd.fairfax.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 12, 2015

Age 36

Incident Details

Cause Suicide

Shelane Dawn Bryant Gaydos is one of 256 officers honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job across the full record of this memorial — 0.8% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In VA, 8 of 654 officers were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 1.2% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0.8%.

At Fairfax County Police Department, 1 of 8 officers on record were honored for deaths connected to the weight of the job — 12.5% of this agency's fallen.

Fairfax County Police Department

of 8 officers

12.5% Suicide

VA — Statewide

of 654 officers

1.2% Suicide

Nationwide

256

of 32,508 officers

0.8% Suicide