Officer Richard D. Seebo

 Police Officer Richard D. Seebo

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Baltimore City Police Department EOW:
Saturday, May 26, 1962 Cause: Gunfire

Officer Seebo stopped a vehicle in the 300 Block of E. 20^th Street for traffic violations. As he pulled his motorcycle to the rear of the vehicle, the driver put his car in reverse and backed into the officer, throwing him to the ground. Officer Seebo went to the driver’s side window to confront the motorist. When he confronted the driver, the driver withdrew a pistol and shot him in the chest. Officer Seebo fell to the ground, and the assailant shot him again in the back as he stood over top of him. Officer Seebo was married and the father of two children. The occupants of the car, Henry Ben Huff, 18, and Wallace Creighton, were charged with the murder of the officer. The suspect was later arrested in South Carolina. Officer Seebo served in the U.S. Navy from August 15, 1955 to August 23, 1957.

On this day in Baltimore Police History 1962, we lost our brother, Police Officer Richard D. Seebo, to gunfire, based on the following new reports:

Baltimore city police last night (26 May 1962) arrested one of two suspects wanted for questioning in the Saturday night slaying of Patrolman Richard B. Seebo. Only fifteen minutes before, a national alarm for the two had been sent out. The youth picked up for questioning is an l8 year old construction worker who lives in the 800 block of Guilford Avenue. He was taken to the Northern District Police Station. The first definite lead in the case came after police questioned four women and two men from mid-afternoon yesterday, until just after 9 o'clock last night. These six people who lived in, the 300 block of East Twentieth Street, the scene of the shooting gave the officers the names of the two suspects who shot Officer Richard Seebo. 

Man Kept in Custody

One of the men questioned yesterday afternoon was apparently kept in custody for additional questions. As described in the alarm, which went out at 9.15 P.M., both of the suspects are black, and one was said to be about 35 and the other 19 or 20. The older man was further described as brown skinned with a thin build, wooly hair, and visibly decayed teeth. The youth was described as being about 6 feet tall, weighing about 175 pounds, with a dark complexion, rough skin, a small goatee, and straightened hair.

Officer's Pistol Missing  

The youth arrested after the alarm went out was said to answer the description of the younger suspect given in the alarm. The national alarm stated that the wanted pair might be riding in a 1953 or 1954 four door Pontiac Sedan with a white top, gray body, and an outside sun shield. The two were believed to have a .32·caliber pistol in their possession and possibly Patrolman Seebo's.38·caliber revolver, which was missing. The information provided in the alarm was at variance with that which police had previously received.

It was first reported that the getaway car was a white-and-green 1955 Pontiac with a man and woman in it. May have used Officer's Gun it is suspected that Patrolman Seebo was slain with his own gun. Dr. Rudiger Breitnecker, assistant medical examiner, said the patrolman had been shot once—in the right lung and heart by what appeared to have been a .38 caliber gun. Reports on how many shots one of the men in the car fired varied.

Baltimore police, beginning at 9 a.m. yesterday, started a house-by-house, floor-by-floor check for witnesses in the neighborhood surrounding the 300 block East Twentieth Street, where the 27·year-old motorcycle officer was gunned down. 

Several people were questioned

Immediately after the shooting, which occurred shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, all were released later. Of the several others questioned yesterday, only one who was picked up at 3.10 p.m. remained in custody. The fullest account of what happened was given to police by Frank Tunstall, 18, of the 400 block East Twentieth. The youth approached Patrolmen John Smith and Harry Bailey, who were cruising in the 1900 block Greenmount Avenue, and told them a policeman had just been shot in the 300 block of East Twentieth. The patrolmen found the wounded officer lying on the sidewalk in front of 329 East Twentieth Street. Semi-conscious, Patrolman Seebo was lying on his side, his knees drawn up to his chest and clutched in his arms. 

Tried to Render Aid

Patrolmen Smith and Bailey turned him over, tried to render aid, and then called for more assistance. Patrolman Seebo's pencil was in his right hand, and his traffic book was lying under his right leg. His helmet was off and lying to the left of him, and his motorcycle was lying on its side two doors away at 33 East Twentieth. Young Tunstall told police he saw a car coming north on Barclay Street, making a left turn into East Twentieth, its tires screeching during the turn. The mounted patrolman was right behind the car. In front or 329 East Twentieth, the car stopped, and the officer pulled up to the right rear bumper. Car Backs Up the car then backed up and knocked the patrolman off his motorcycle, young Tunstall reported. Patrolman Seebo got up, walked over to the car, got the driver out of the car and started talking to him. The driver then got back into his car and started cursing. Ordered out of the car again, the man started to do so, and then a shot was fired, the witness said Patrolman Seebo then tried to pull his gun but the other man apparently took the gun away from him and fired another shot, young Tunstall said. The man then drove west to Guilford Avenue, south to North Avenue, and then cast on North Avenue, when young Tunstall lost sight of the car and went to call police, Patrolman Seebo died either on the scene or on the way to Union Memorial Hospital. He was dead on arrival at the hospital at 10.20 P.M. The patrolman, who lived in Pasadena leaves a wife, Patricia, and two daughters. Patricia Louise, 3, and Phyllis Ann, 8 months. Patrolman Seebo was the second City policeman to be shot to death in less than two months. Patrolman Harry Smith, Jr., was killed April 7, apparently while trying to break up a dice game in the 700 block West Lexington Street. Murder charges have been placed in that case.

While he is no longer with us, we his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, will not let him be forgotten. RIP Brother

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