In the summer of 1945, a Bessemer, Alabama police officer's life was cut tragically short. Rufus Shelley Kendrick, a 44-year-old White male, had served on the Bessemer Police Department for 11 years. On July 10th, while off duty, Kendrick spotted a man who was wanted for the assault of a woman.
Kendrick, accompanied by his five-year-old son whom he left in the car, approached the suspect in an alley to serve the warrant.
Moments later, the suspect opened fire, shooting Officer Kendrick multiple times. The wounds proved to be fatal.
The individual responsible for Officer Kendrick's death was a 22-year-old man. Following the shooting, the suspect was apprehended. He was later adjudged to be insane and was committed to a state mental hospital. Officer Kendrick was survived by his wife and two sons.
