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Patrolman

Wendell Hicks

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch March 29, 1973

Age 41

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Badge 11561

The Vigil Panel 111 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 570

Incident

Patrolman Wendell Hicks was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two men who were committing a robbery in the parking lot of a bowling alley. He was off duty and leaving the bowling alley when he encountered the robbery. He identified himself and started to approach them, prompting one of them to flee in the victim's car. Patrolman Hicks chased the car in his personal vehicle until it crashed on 69th Street. He then chased the suspect into an alley between Michigan Avenue and Indiana Avenue where he was shot. Both assailants were apprehended and convicted of murder. Patrolman Hicks was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Chicago Police Department for 14 years. He had been shot and wounded in the line of duty once before, in 1968.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-14EE72B3
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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 Hicks gave the Chicago Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago 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 Chicago Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Chicago, Cook County, IL

Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 29, 1973

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 41

Badge Number 11561

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Wendell Hicks served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Wendell Hicks is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 officers honored here.

In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.

At Chicago Police Department, 396 of 571 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.4% of this agency's fallen.

Chicago Police Department

396

of 571 officers

69.4% Felonious

IL — Statewide

842

of 1,318 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,586 officers

53.9% Felonious