Officer Wendell Hicks was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two men burglarizing parked cars. Officer Hicks was off-duty at a bowling alley when a citizen came in and reported that the two men were breaking into cars.

Officer Hicks immediately responded to the parking lot and began chasing the offenders in his personal car. The vehicle crashed a short distance away. As Officer Hicks exited his vehicle, one of the men opened fire. Officer Hicks was fatally wounded. Both assailants were apprehended and convicted of murder.

Officer Hicks, a U. S. Air Force veteran, served with the Chicago Police Department for 14 years. He had been shot and wounded in the line of duty once before, in 1968. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.