A former Dallas police officer was honored over two decades after his death.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) presented full burial honors to Sgt. Claude Standridge on Thursday after the department acknowledged his death was connected to an injury he sustained in the line of duty. Standridge was shot multiple times during a traffic stop in 1972. While he survived the shooting and stayed on the force, complications from the incident allegedly plagued him until he died in 1998, Â Fox 4 KDFW reported.
“Dedicated to his job and his city, he returned to work in a light-duty capacity. Sadly, his injuries made it too difficult to work daily, and after more than 18 years of service, he retired on disability,” said Police Chief Eddie Garcia at the memorial on Thursday.
Kim Black, Standridge’s daughter, said that her father lamented being unable to continue his service.
“I know how much my dad loved being a Dallas policeman and how much it meant to him to do that job,” Black told Fox 4. “And when he couldn’t, I know he was devastated.”
At the time of his death, Standridge did not receive the full honors that a death that occurred in the line of duty would entail. Although Standridge’s injuries from the day he was shot did not result in his immediate death, Black and Standridge’s son-in-law, Matt Baren, claimed that complications arose from the shooting that followed him for the rest of his life and eventually led to his death.
Standridge required multiple surgeries due to the injuries he sustained.
“He would not recover from his final surgery more than 25 years after the shooting,” said Garcia, according to Fox 4. “We added his name to the Dallas Police Memorial this year, 25 years since his death.”
Black said her heart is now “full” knowing that her father was properly honored for his service.
“Thank you for your service. Continue to rest in peace,” said DPD in a tweet.
The memorial came at a rough time for DPD, which has been experiencing a severe shortage of police officers. The department currently maintains around 3,100 sworn personnel, but a City analysis previously concluded that Dallas needs about three officers for every 1,000 residents — putting the department some 900 officers short of the 4,000 considered necessary by the study.
The shortage is likely felt in Downtown Dallas, where crime has been notably high compared to Fort Worth’s downtown area, which is patrolled by a dedicated police unit in tandem with private security.
