In the predawn hours of May 25, 1980, a sense of unease led Kansas City Police Officer David Joseph Inlow, a 37-year-old Caucasian male, to a service station at 3737 East 31st Street. A veteran of the force with 15 years of service, his instincts proved tragically accurate as he discovered a robbery in progress. What unfolded next was a swift and brutal exchange of gunfire that would leave two men dead and another facing justice.
Officer Inlow confronted the suspect, 23-year-old Dennis
Keith Carter, as he was fleeing the KC Oil Company station with over $200 in stolen cash. A fierce gun battle erupted between the two. Officer Inlow was struck by gunfire under each armpit, in areas his bulletproof vest did not protect. Despite being mortally wounded, he managed to return fire, striking Carter four times in the chest.
A passerby discovered the grim scene: Officer Inlow lying next to his patrol car, having apparently collapsed while trying to radio for help, and Carter, dead on the ground about twenty feet away with stolen money still clutched in his hand and scattered nearby. The gas station attendant, who had been ordered into a restroom by the suspect, was unharmed and did not witness the shooting.
The investigation quickly identified an accomplice, Terry Hamilton, who had been waiting in a getaway car. In 1981, Hamilton pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder for his role in the robbery that led to Officer Inlow's death and was sentenced to no more than 15 years in prison. Officer Inlow was survived by his wife, son, and two daughters.
