On July 30, 2024, off-duty Cook County Sheriff's Deputy Rafael Wordlaw, 31, was fatally shot during an attempted armed robbery at a gas station in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. The incident occurred around 1:26 a.m. at the Clark Gas Station on the 500 block of East 67th Street. Wordlaw was in his car at the gas station with his cousin when a gunman, later identified as Cordarrow Thompson, 32, approached and attempted to rob him.
A shootout ensued, with Thompson firing multiple rounds; Wordlaw was struck once in the chest despite returning fire and hitting Thompson in the leg.
After being shot, Wordlaw managed to drive his car a half-mile down the road before crashing into a pole in the 6700 block of South Indiana Avenue. He was then taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to his injuries.
Cordarrow Thompson, the suspect, was charged with multiple felonies, including murder, attempted murder, and armed habitual criminal. According to the police, Thompson fired 69 rounds from two guns simultaneously during the altercation.
Wordlaw, a correctional officer with the Cook County Sheriff's Department for five years, was remembered by his colleagues and family as a dedicated public servant and a hero. He was a graduate of Urban Prep Academy and Indiana State University, where he studied criminal justice. Wordlaw's family described him as someone who always put others first, and he was set to celebrate his 32nd birthday on August 10.
Funeral services for Deputy Wordlaw were held on August 9, 2024, with a visitation at Leak and Sons Funeral Home in Country Club Hills and a wake and funeral service at St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Harvey. The Cook County Sheriff's Office and Chicago Police Department expressed their appreciation for the swift investigation and arrest, hoping for justice for Wordlaw's family and colleagues.
