Tommy E. Kendall

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol — Jackson, MS

Felonious

End of Watch May 16, 1966

Age 24

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Badge D-51

The Vigil Panel 101 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Trooper Tommy Kendall was shot and killed while manning a one-man roadblock on U.S. Highway 49, near Minter City, following a robbery in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The suspects encountered the roadblock and opened fire, striking Trooper Kendall three times. He was transported to a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, where he succumbed to his wounds. The suspects were apprehended and sentenced to life. Both men subsequently died in prison. Trooper Kendall had been with the agency for two years. He was survived by his wife and two-year-old son, who followed in father's footsteps and became a Mississippi state trooper. A section of U.S. Highway 49, in Leflore County, was dedicated as the Trooper Tommy E. Kendall Memorial Highway.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two-year-old son, who followed in father's footsteps and became a Mississippi state trooper.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MS-1D7F5A00
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Kendall gave the Mississippi Department of Public Safety 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Mississippi. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Kendall.

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

Agency

Department Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol

Location Jackson, MS

Platform Identity mdpsmhp.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 16, 1966

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 24

Badge Number D-51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Sentenced to life

Trooper Tommy E. Kendall is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol, 10 of 28 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.7% of this agency's fallen.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Mississippi Highway Patrol

of 28 officers

35.7% Felonious

MS — Statewide

242

of 349 officers

69.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious