The faces and names you will see and read about are those of law enforcement officers who have died in Nebraska. Each was a member of a family. of a community, and dedicated his life to protecting the citezens of Nebraska. We honor them.

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		Chief of Police Richard R. Vandermate, Garden County Oshkosh Chief of Police Richard R. Vandermate died at about 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 1971, from gunshot wounds he received at about 2:05 a.m. the previous day. Chief Vandermate was shot by a 17 year-old male while investigating a burglary at Larry's Lounge on Main Street. The suspect had escaped from the city jail earlier where he was serving a 90-day sentence. Chief Vandermate observed the suspect in the tavern and called for him to surrender. Instead, the suspect shot the lawman with a .22 caliber rifle that had been stolen from a nearby hardware store. Vandermate crawled to his patrol car and turned on the siren. Citizens came to the officer's aid and he was taken to the hospital. He underwent surgery but died the following day. Chief Vandermate was 32 years old and survived by his wife, Juanita, and four children.
		NE State Trooper Mark P. Wagner, Lincoln County Nebraska State Trooper Mark P. Wagner died at about 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, 1999, as a result of an accidental gunshot wound received in a tragic training exercise. Wagner and several other troopers were participating in handgun retention training at Troop "D" Headquarters in North Platte when the accidental shooting occurred. Trooper Wagner was 37 years old and survived by his wife, Denise, and three children.
		Dept. of Corrections Warden Henry Wagner, Lancaster County Department of Corrections Deputy Warden Henry Wagner was shot to death in the Administration Building at about 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, 1912. Wagner was one of three correction officers killed during the violent breakout. The three escapees managed to escape the prison grounds and flee Lincoln but were later cornered near Gretna. One of the convicts committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot, and a member of the posse, who closed in on the escapees, shot another. The last convict surrendered.
		Marshal Alphonso J. Wake, Richardson County Rulo City Marshal Alphonso J. Wake was shot and killed at about 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, 1900, by a subject he had escorted from a bar in town. Marshal Wake had gone to Kanaly's Saloon and encountered several men causing a disturbance. When Marshal Wake instructed the men to calm down, one of them refused and threatened the lawman. Marshal Wake escorted the man outside and was talking to him when the man suddenly pulled a hidden gun and fired. Wake collapsed and died. The suspect escaped but later returned and was captured. Marshal Wake was 55 years old and survived by his wife and seven children.
		Constable William Wathen, Boone County Constable William Wathen was shot in the same incident that took the life of Sheriff Lawrence Smoyer (shown above). On June 17, 1937, the two lawmen responded to a report about 6 miles north of Akron, NE, regarding some suspicious subjects that were said to be hiding in the area. When they arrived to investigate, Constable Wathen, who had been asked by Sheriff Smoyer to accompany him, was wounded and remained in critical condition for nearly four months until his death on Sunday, October 3, 1937, at about 1:50 a.m. While two subjects were identified in the case, they were never arrested or charged, and the case remains unsolved.
		Omaha Deputy Marshal Thomas A. Welch, Douglas County Omaha Deputy Marshal Thomas A. Welch was shot on Sunday, June 24, 1866, and died Wednesday, August 8, 1866. Welch encountered a soldier with the Nebraska 1st Regiment in a beer garden. The soldier was causing a disturbance and when Welch began escorting him outside, the soldier pulled a revolver and shot him. The soldier was taken into custody but later escaped. Deputy Marshal Welch was 35 years old and survived by his wife, Ann.
		Officer George W. Welter, Lancaster County Lincoln Police Motorcycle Officer George W. Welter died at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 1968, from injuries he suffered in a collision with a station wagon at the intersection of 27th and "W" Street. Officer Welter, who was responding to a report of a man lying in the street at 26th and "Q", had been southbound on 27th Street when he collided with the car. He had his emergency equipment in operation at the time of the crash. Officer Welter was 25 years old and survived by his wife, Sandra, and three children.
		Police Officer Gary R. White, Otoe County Nebraska City Police Officer Gary R. White was shot and killed at about 3:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, 1977, at the rear of the police department in Nebraska City. Officer White and Officer Pete Rishel were attempting to contact a subject driving a pickup truck in the alley. The officers believed the driver of the truck was wanted in connection with a domestic assault that had occurred earlier. As the officers approached the truck, the driver produced a shotgun and fired at both officers. White was stuck under his protective vest and collapsed. Rishel was wounded but was able to return fire. The suspect escaped but was arrested near York on I-80 at a rest area. Officer White was 24 years old and single at the time of his death. White had been a police officer for nine days.
		Police Detective Paul B. Whitehead, Lancaster County Lincoln Police Detective Paul B. Whitehead was shot and killed at about 12:15 a.m. on Thursday, August 10, 1967, near 28th and "O" Street. Detective Whitehead and Detective Paul Merritt observed an out of state car leaving a gas station near that location and initiated a traffic stop. As Whitehead contacted a man who stepped from the vehicle, Merritt watched the other occupants. Whitehead asked the subject for identification and was shot by the subject with a concealed short shotgun. Merritt returned fire and seriously wounded the suspect. The other men escaped but were captured later. The three men were dangerous escapees from prison. Detective Whitehead was 30 years old and survived by his wife, Janet, and three children.
		Homer Marchal Leo Wilke, Dakota County Homer Marshal Leo Wilke died from injuries he received at about 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, 1940. Heavy flooding in the area had reached a local bar in Homer and while Marshal Wilke was trying to rescue people from inside, an explosion occurred. Wilke suffered a fatal head injury in the explosion. Marshal Wilke was 34 years old and survived by his wife, Margarette.
		Officer Jimmy B. Wilson, Jr., Douglas County Omaha Officer Jimmy B. Wilson, Jr. died at about 5:00 a.m. on Monday, August 21, 1995, from several gunshot wounds. Officer Wilson was shot at about 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 20, 1995, while initiating a traffic stop on a vehicle near 40th and Blondo. A suspect in the stopped vehicle stepped out and opened fire on Officer Wilson while he was still seated in his patrol car. Officer Wilson was rushed to the hospital where he was listed in grave condition until he passed away the following morning. Officer Wilson was 24 years old and engaged to be married at the time of his death.
		Deputy Sheriff Kenneth J. Wolf, Frontier County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth J. Wolf died on April 29, 1997, as a result of a heart attack suffered while on duty. Deputy Wolf had responded to a report of an individual injured while working on a power pole. He responded and carried the injured subject from the scene to the roadway. Afterward, Wolf suffered chest pains and died from a sudden heart attack. Deputy Wolf died on his 51st birthday. His wife, Jeanette, along with his two daughters and one son, survived him.  Deputy Wolf's brother-in-law, Gothenburg Police Seargant Glenn Haas, will also be listed on the Memorial. In 1990 Seargent Haas was shot in the station lobby and later died in a Kearney hospital.
		Officer Reynold E. Wolfe, Douglas County Omaha Officer Reynold E. Wolfe was shot at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, 1935, and died about an hour later. Officer Wolfe and Officer Clarence Drehsen were patrolling near 22nd and Poppleton Avenue when they observed a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle that had fled from the scene of an armed robbery at Stahmer Brother's Grocery, 2702 South 20th Street. The suspects crashed near the Peterson Baking Company, and Wolfe and Drehsen approached. Two suspects emerged and began firing at the officers. Drehsen was struck in the left leg and Officer Wolfe was struck in the chest with a shotgun blast. One of the suspects died in a shootout with responding officers and the other was captured. Officer Wolfe was 25 years old and survived by his wife, Mary.
		Sheriff Jack Woods, Hitchcock County Sheriff Jack Woods was shot and killed at about 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 16, 1882, while in Minden attempting to arrest two horse thieves. Sheriff Woods, along with Kearney County Sheriff Ericson, went to the Prairie Home Hotel after learning that the two suspected thieves were taking their late meal there. Woods entered the front door of the hotel after having watched the men enter earlier, and drew his revolver. He ordered the two men to surrender. Waiting for Ericson to come through the back door, Woods was surprised when one of the men drew a pistol and shot him twice and died instantly. The two assailants fled town but not before killing two more men, one of them being R. B. Kelley, the former sheriff and special deputy for Sheriff Ericson. His wife, Laura, survived Sheriff Woods.
		NE State Patrolman Loyal M. Zink, Cheyenne County Nebraska State Patrolman Loyal M. Zink died as a result of injuries he sustained when his patrol car was involved in a collision with a gravel truck about 10 miles west of Sidney. State Patrolman Zink died at about 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13, 1945. It is believed that Zink was in pursuit of a speeder moments before the collision. With the emergency red lights and siren activated, Zink was eastbound on Highway #30 when a gravel truck made a left turn in front of him. The driver of the truck was turning into the Sioux Ordinance Depot at the time of the collision. Patrolman Zink was 44 years old and survived by his wife, Wilda, and two sons, Ronald and Lyle.