In the summer of 1929, the city of Alexandria, Virginia, was rocked by the sudden and violent death of one of its own. Sergeant Charles R. McClary, a 32-year-old male officer with the Alexandria Police Department, was gunned down in the line of duty on the evening of June 20th. A respected and popular figure on the force, McClary had been promoted to the rank of sergeant just a year prior, serving in the traffic unit on a motorcycle. His promising career and life were cut tragically short in an alley in the Old Town section of the city.
The fateful encounter occurred around 9:05 p.m. in the 500 block of North Patrick Street. Sergeant McClary, along with Sergeant Edgar Sims, was in the process of investigating a complaint regarding illicit liquor at a residence known to be a house of ill-repute. As the two officers coordinated their approach, with Sims at the rear of the property and McClary in the front, a man suddenly burst out of the house and fired at McClary. The sergeant, who never had a chance to draw his own weapon, was struck by the gunfire. His partner rushed to his side, and McClary's last words were, 'They got me.' He was swiftly transported to Alexandria Hospital, but his wound proved fatal.
The man who fired the fatal shot was identified as William Kidd, who also went by the aliases Kid Lilly and John Gaines. The motive for the shooting was deeply personal and rooted in a previous encounter with law enforcement. Just three weeks prior to the murder, Sergeant McClary had arrested the 51-year-old Kidd for shooting a woman in Pittsylvania County. However, while being transported to face charges, Kidd managed to escape custody and made his way back to Alexandria, where he tragically crossed paths with the very officer who had apprehended him.
Following the murder of Sergeant McClary, a lengthy manhunt for William Kidd ensued. It would be nearly four years before justice began to unfold. After his eventual capture, Kidd was returned to Alexandria to face charges for the murder of the fallen officer. He ultimately pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to life in prison for ending the life of Sergeant Charles R. McClary. The death of Sergeant McClary was a profound loss for the community and his family, which included his wife and five children. In a further heartbreaking turn of events for the McClary family, Charles's younger brother, Corporal Clarence J. McClary, who was also an Alexandria police officer, was killed in the line of duty on March 17, 1935.
