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Vickie Salassi Wax
Lieutenant

Vickie Salassi Wax

Baton Rouge Police Department — Baton Rouge, LA
Felonious
United States flag Louisiana flag
End of Watch May 22, 2004
Age 51
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
The Vigil Panel 152 ›
Gender Female
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 26

Incident

Lieutenant Vickie Wax was shot and killed with her own service weapon during her attempt at handcuffing a shoplifting suspect.

She had succeeded in placing a handcuff on one hand and was attempting to cuff the other hand when a struggle ensued. Lieutenant Wax was knocked down, and she lost possession of her weapon. She was then shot. A store security guard and a customer, who had assisted her during the struggle, were also shot and seriously wounded.

The suspect escaped by carjacking a vehicle but later turned himself in. He was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted murder, and several other charges. He was convicted of the charges and sentenced to death.

Lieutenant Wax had served with the Baton Rouge Police Department for 27 years.

Survivors

She is survived by her husband, father, two brothers, sister, and two nephews.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Wax gave the Baton Rouge Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Baton Rouge community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Wax.

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

Agency

Department Baton Rouge Police Department
Type Other
Location Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
Platform Identity brpd.ebr.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 22, 2004
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 51
Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Vickie is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2004, 79 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 86th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Vickie was 51. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Vickie had served 27 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where she stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

Her people

Baton Rouge Police Department has 27 officers remembered here, Vickie among them.

Across the years

Lieutenant Vickie Salassi Wax

Baton Rouge Police Department · End of Watch May 22, 2004

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 53-W

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