Patrolman Richard H. Duvall

On this day in Baltimore Police History, January 11, 1959, we lost our brother Patrolman Richard H. Duvall to accidental gunfire after a high-speed auto chase and the recovery of a stolen auto. This is based on the following:

On Saturday, January 11, 1959, 16-year-old Ulbis Buiva, of the 1100 block of Roland Heights Avenue, was an 11th grade student at Baltimore Polytech Institute, where he was taking the “A” courses. He entered a car dealership off Mt. Royal Ave. and stole a black 1957 Thunderbird; later around the same time, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident at Mt. Royal and North Avenue, at which time both cars were reported as having Pennsylvania tags. Those tags were stolen from a parking lot also not far off Mt Royal Ave. Patrolman Robert B. Leutbecker. spotted the vehicle at Park and North Avenues. He reported it by telephone, and the radio alert was broadcast to all cars.

At the time, there were several people in the car. After racing around the park roads, the sports car sped from the park using the Gwen Falls Parkway exit. This is where patrolmen Howell and Duvall became involved in the chase. Patrolmen Howell and Duvall (partners) were in one of about 18 police cars that were chasing the speeding Thunderbird. When it cornered too hard, overcompensating the turn, the youth driving it struck an embankment before bailing out. Howell and Duvall gave chase; each fired their revolvers at the youth as he ran up the alley. They would eventually capture the youth after a short 100-foot, or less, chase. At the end of the chase, the officers were confronted with a “terrific struggle," with the suspect putting up a fight. During that struggle, “one of the officer's guns was discharged.”. Seeing as how both guns were fired numerous times during the chase and during the struggle, it was unclear at first which officer's gun fired the fatal shot that took Patrolman Duvall’s life. But during the struggle, one of the two guns went off, and Patrolman Duvall was shot in the left side of his chest. The bullet passed down, cutting his main artery before it would exit through his right hip, killing him en route through his body.

Patrolman Howell broke down at the hospital when he learned of his partner’s death; in fact, he was so broken up that he had to be kept there at the hospital under sedation for the night.

Sadly, the next day, ballistics would show that the round that took Officer Duvall's life was fired from his partner, Patrolman Melvin E. Howell's.38 caliber revolver.

Patrolman Richard H. Duvall Jr, 28, served the Baltimore Police department for more than 6 years, He was married to Charlotte Duvall and father to two girls and two children, a two-year-old Suzan and a three-month-old Cheryl.

On this day in Baltimore Police History, January 11, 1959, we lost our brother Patrolman Richard H. Duvall to accidental gunfire after a high-speed auto chase and the recovery of a stolen auto.

This is based on the following:

On Saturday, January 11, 1959, 16-year-old Ulbis Buiva, of the 1100 block of Roland Heights Avenue, was an 11th grade student at Baltimore Polytech Institute, where he was taking the “A” courses. He entered a car dealership off Mt. Royal Ave. and stole a black 1957 Thunderbird; later around the same time, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident at Mt. Royal and North Avenue, at which time both cars were reported as having Pennsylvania tags. Those tags were stolen from a parking lot also not far off Mt Royal Ave. Patrolman Robert B. Leutbecker. spotted the vehicle at Park and North Avenues. He reported it by telephone, and the radio alert was broadcast to all cars.

At the time, there were several people in the car. After racing around the park roads, the sports car sped from the park using the Gwen Falls Parkway exit. This is where patrolmen Howell and Duvall became involved in the chase. Patrolmen Howell and Duvall (partners) were in one of about 18 police cars that were chasing the speeding Thunderbird. When it cornered too hard, overcompensating the turn, the youth driving it struck an embankment before bailing out. Howell and Duvall gave chase; each fired their revolvers at the youth as he ran up the alley. They would eventually capture the youth after a short 100-foot, or less, chase. At the end of the chase, the officers were confronted with a “terrific struggle,” he suspects, putting up a fight. It was during that struggle that “one of the officers guns were discharged.”. Seeing as how both guns were fired numerous times during the chase and during the struggle, it was unclear at first which officer's gun fired the fatal shot that took Patrolman Duvall’s life. But during the struggle, one of the two guns went off, and Patrolman Duvall was shot in the left chest. The bullet passed down, cutting his main artery before it would exit through his right hip.

Patrolman Howell broke down at the hospital when he learned of his partner’s death; in fact, he was so broken up that he had to be kept there at the hospital under sedation for the night.

Sadly, the next day, ballistics would show that the round that took Officer Duvall's life was fired from his partner, Patrolman Melvin E. Howell's.38 caliber revolver.

Patrolman Richard H. Duvall Jr., 28, served the Baltimore Police Department for more than 6 years. He was married to Charlotte Duvall and father to two girls and two children, a two-year-old Suzan and a three-month-old Cheryl.

The following articles come from the Baltimore Sun (1959).

POLICEMAN IS FATALLY WOUNDED IN CLIMAX OF STOLEN CAR, COURT CASE

12 January 1959

Officer Shot by Bullet from His Own or Partners Pistol

A young policeman was fatally wounded yesterday at the climax of a high-speed stolen car chase through the northern part of the city.

Patrolman Richard H. Duvall Jr., 28, was shot in the chest by a bullet from his own pistol, as was his partner, Patrolman Melvin H. Howell, 29, while they were arresting the driver of a stolen sports car.

The ballistics tests will be conducted to determine which pistol the bullet came from, investigators said

OCCURRED AFTER CHASE

The shooting occurred in the 3800 block of Greenspring Avenue at the end of a five-mile chase late in the afternoon. It began on Greenmount Avenue and raised to be the river 75 miles an hour through Druid Hill Park to Northwest Baltimore. Patrolmen Howell and Duvall, in one of about 18 police cars chasing the speeding Thunderbird, cornered the youth driving it after it struck an embankment opposite the Children’s Hospital school. They each fired their revolvers at the youth as he ran up the alley, and captured him after a 100-foot chase.

ONE OF THE GUN’S DISCHARGED

Police officials who were investigating the shooting said that the youth was captured with a “terrific struggle” and that “one of the officers guns discharged” during the fight. Inspector Leo T Kelly, when asked whether the officers were clubbing with their pistol butts, replied, “no doubt he did get hit with one of the guns.” Patrolman Duvall is married and the father of two children. Died about a half hour after the shooting at union Memorial hospital.

MAIN ARTERY CUT

He was shot in the left chest, and the bullet passed down, cutting the main artery and going out over the right hip. Patrolman Howell broke down at the hospital when he learned of his partner’s death and was kept there under sedation last night. Patrolman Duvall, who lived at 942 Imperial Court, Lansdowne, was on the force of seven years. Patrolman Howell has been on the force a year and a half longer. Inspector Kelly, who conducted the investigation with inspector Bernard J Schmidt, said that anyone other than the driver of the stolen car were being held for questioning about the theft at the Northern Police District.

The driver, who gave his age at the hospital as 15 but appeared much older, was treated at union Memorial hospital for scalp cuts, which he apparently received while he was being captured. Inspector Kelly said that the Thunderbird was wanted by police for several counts. It had been reported stolen from an automobile dealer Saturday and as caring Pennsylvania tags reported lost or stolen here earlier,. The black 1957 Thunderbird was involved in a hit-and-run accident Saturday at Mt. Royal and North Avenue, at which time both the cars description and its Pennsylvania tags were spotted. Late yesterday afternoon, a policeman saw it at Park and North avenues. He reported it by telephone and the radio alert was broadcast to all cars. At the time, there were several people in the car. One Police car was seen minutes later at 25th St. and Greenmount Avenue, touching off the chase and proceeding to North Ave., West on Madison Avenue North on Druid Hill Park. After racing around the park roads, the sports car sped out the Gwen Falls Parkway exit from the park, where patrolman Howell was involved in the case.

HITTING 75 MILES AN HOUR

The train of cars raced to the Park Circle and up Park Heights Avenue. According to patrolman Wilbur Baldwin, one of the pursuing officers, the cars were hitting 75 miles an hour and more. They cut off Violet Ave., up Cottage Avenue, and across Oswego Avenue. The sports car turned south on Greenspring Avenue. As the sports car twisted down the hill outside the Children’s Hospital school, it suddenly turned to the right into an alley. Apparently, in an attempt to reverse directions and lose the oncoming group of police cars,.

CAR HITS SLOPE

But it hit a slope along the side of the southernmost house in a 3800 block.

Inspector Kelly said the two policemen were the only ones at the spot when patrolman Duvall was shot. Both of their pistols had been fired, he said.

The inspector said the person reported in the sports car when it was first seen had apparently been dropped before the high-speed chase, although it was possible one of the riders was in the car when it crashed. According to Inspector Kelly, the two pistols fired a total of three shots. It was the inspector who said, “There was a terrific struggle” in arresting the youth. Patrolman Duvall and his wife, Charlotte, had two children: a two-year-old and a three-month-old.

PARTNERS DEATH MADE TO OFFICER

13 January 1959

A test shows the patrolman’s gun-killed companion. A Northwest district patrolman was charged yesterday with causing the death of his radio car partner Sunday as the two struggled with the youth at the end of a five-mile high-speed car chase. The technical charge was placed against Patrolman Melvin E. Howell, 29, of the 1800 block of Swansea Road, after the ballistic test showed that a bullet from his gun killed his partner, policeman Richard H. Duvall, 28, of Lansdowne. A total of three shots had been fired from his gun and the.38 caliber service revolver of patrolman Officer Melvin E. Howell.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

As police continue their investigation of the car theft and the wild chase that led to its recovery, there were other developments

1. The 15-year-old youth who was arrested at the climax of the chase was operated on at Union Memorial Hospital, where he was being treated for a skull fracture. Inspector Leo T. Kelly said Sunday he had been hit with the policeman’s revolvers.

2. Car theft charges were placed against another youth, 16, who is alleged to have had a part in taking the 1958 Thunderbird from the automobile dealer on Saturday. Hearing of the charge and postponing it to February 9, a youth, Ulbis Buiva, a native of Latvia, appeared yesterday before magistrate James F. Fanseen and the Northern Police Court. His counsel, Preston A. Pairo, Junior, said Buiva is an 11th grade student at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, where he is taking the “A” course. He lives with his parents on the 1100 block of Roland Heights Avenue. Bail was set at $750 on the car theft charge and $250 on the second count, alleging that Buiva was involved in stealing a set of Pennsylvania license plates from a car in a parking lot. Pennsylvania tags were on a stolen car, which police chased through the Midtown and Midwest sections of Baltimore.

SPOTTED SUNDAY

The stolen car was spotted Sunday afternoon parked in the 600 block of W. North Ave. by Patrolman Robert B Leutbecker. He said he went over to the shiny black car and asked the useful driver for his operator’s license and registration card. The officers said the youth replied that his credentials were in the glove compartment but that he would get them. He got into the car, which was occupied by three young women and another young man and they roared away.

By the time the car had gone three blocks, police said, the passengers were demanding to be let out. The driver stopped and allowed all four to leave the car.

The four later were questioned by police, who said yesterday that no charges will be brought against them.

CHASE CAR THROUGH PARK

After the stolen car raced away from the officer, who wanted to question

As we take this time to remember him and thank him for his service and sacrifice,. We, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and rest in Peace.

As we take this time to remember him and thank him for his service and sacrifice,. We, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, will not let him be forgotten. God bless you and rest in peace.