In the early morning hours of September 27, 1964, a call regarding an unknown trouble at an apartment complex on Seay Street in Alexandria, Virginia, set in motion a tragic chain of events. Private Eugene Yoakum, a 31-year-old officer with the Alexandria Police Department, responded to the call for backup. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who had served with the police department for a decade, Yoakum was a respected member of the force and one of the first to be part of the K-9 Corps with his German shepherd partner, Mucho.
Upon arrival, officers found that a 24-year-old man named Stull, who had been drinking, was armed with a knife. As Private Yoakum attempted to de-escalate the situation and talk to the man, Stull, who had a gun concealed behind his back, suddenly brought the weapon forward and fired, striking Yoakum in the chest. Though grievously wounded, Private Yoakum was unable to return fire.
The other officers on the scene immediately sought cover and returned fire, fatally shooting Stull at the scene. In the aftermath, Mucho, Private Yoakum's loyal canine partner, stood watch over his injured handler until he was transported to Alexandria Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Private Eugene Yoakum was pronounced dead at 2:20 a.m. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children, Marion, Tyrone, and Sharon. In his honor, a parkway in Alexandria was named after him.
