Eugene Yoakum 
M, (1930 - 1964)
- Relationship
- 9th great-grandson of Herman Op Den Graeff
Eugene Yoakum was born in 1930. He was the son of Robert Taylor Yoakum and Myrtle Evans. Eugene Yoakum married Elizabeth Marie Rogers circa 1953. Eugene Yoakum died in 1964 at Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia, at age 34 years. He was buried on 30 September 1964 in the National Memorial Park, located in Falls Church, Fairfax County, Virginia.
The following article about Eugene was published on 29 September 1964 in the The Alexandria Gazette, printed in Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia. This article stated:
From Gary R. Hawpe, ed. and Earl Quintrell, comp., 'City Police Officer Dead in Early Morning Gunfight at Seay Street,' Van Bibber Pioneers E-Newsletter, Vol. 4 No. 11 (September 2001), pp. 5 - 7.
CITY POLICE OFFICER DEAD IN EARLY MORNING GUNFIGHT AT SEAY STREET
Fellow Policeman Slay Resident in Wild Exchange
Referring to the fatal shooting of an Alexandria policeman early Sunday morning, Major Russell A. Hawes, Chief of Alexandria Police Department, said yesterday: 'The majority of police officers killed in this county are killed on calls similar to the one to which Private Eugene Yoakum responded Sunday morning. He was a dedicated police officer - one of the most dedicated I've had the privilege of working with. He thought only of being a policeman and of doing a good job at it.'
Private Yoakum, 34, the father of the three children and a 10-year member of the Alexandria Police Force, lost his life at 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he was shot in the chest by Fred C. Stull, 23, of 2906 Seay Street, who, police said witness told them, had 'gone berserk.'
The sequent of events leading to Yoakum's death and the death of Stull from shots fired by Privates David Largen and Earl Caknipe began with a 'trouble call' to Alexandria Police Headquarters from a man who identified himself as Leroy David Beasley of 2905 Seay Street, and said that Stull had 'gone berserk' and beat him unconscious.
The dispatcher at police headquarters alerted Largen who was cruising in the area of Duke Street and Longview Drive.
Largen later said that when he arrived at 2906 Seay Street, Stull, armed with a revolver, was standing in the doorway of the apartment building. When he ordered Stull to drop the weapon, he reported, Stull threatened to shoot and was prevented from doing so by Dennis Perry of 2902 Seay Street, who grabbed his arm and tussled with him.
Largen returned to his cruiser to call for reinforcements, and was joined within minutes by Yoakum and Caknipe. Stull, Largen said, was in the doorway, brandishing a knife which he was holding in his left hand.
He and Yoakum were near the curb, 20 feet from the front of the apartment, Largen said, and Caknipe began to approach Stull, telling him to throw down the knife. Instead of discarding the weapon, the officer said, Stull brought his right hand from behind him and began firing. One of the first shots caught Yoakum in the chest, he said.
Largen and Caknipe returned the fire, and Stull fell dead in the doorway of his home.
Beasley, a staff sergeant in the U. S. Air Force, who is stationed at Fort Myers and works at the Pentagon, later told police that he had returned to his apartment about 10 p.m. and found his wife and a woman friend there. The group sat in the living room watching television and drinking beer, he said, and near midnight Stull came in. Beasley told investigating officers that Stull, who had a bottle of liquor with him, insisted that the group join a party at his apartment, which they did.
The group played records and danced and shortly after 1 a.m., Beasley said, 'then all hell broke loose.' Stull, he told the officer, 'went berserk' and grabbed him and beat him, banging his head against the wall until he was unconscious.
When he arrived, Bailey, said, he returned to his own apartment and called for police assistance and protection.
Beasley's call was logged by the dispatcher, Private Jack Logwood, at 1:28 a.m., according to Captain Francis H. Johnson, Chief of the Detective Bureau, yesterday.
Yoakum, a Staff Sergeant with the U. S. Marine Corps before he joined the Alexander Police Department in 1954, attracted world-wide attention last year to himself and his K-9 Mucho, when he strapped a receiving set to the dog's harness and trained him to respond to commands via walkie-talkie.
He was the eight police officer in Alexander to die in the performance of duty since 1929 and the first since Private Bobby Padgett was shot to death in 1959.
Born in Speedwell, Claiborne County, Tennessee, in 1932, Yoakum attended grade school in Forkridge, Claiborne County, and spent his high school years at Middlesboro High School, Bell County, Kentucky.
In 1950 Yoakum joined the U. S. Marine Corps and rose to the rank of staff sergeant before leaving the Corps in 1954, and joining the Alexandria Police Department.
A charter member of the K-9 Corps, Yoakum received a citation for excellence in the performance of his duties when he and Caknipe apprehended two men breaking into a store on Duke Street two years ago and only subdued them after gunplay. His fellow officer on that tour of duty was with him again Sunday morning.
Stull, who died with his victim, Johnson said, was wearing a cowboy belt and a holster with a thigh lanyard. He had a 38-cal. revolver and between 50 and 60 rounds of ammunition. Formerly employed by an Alexander bakery, he had left his job two weeks ago and taken one with a bakery concern in the District of Columbia.
As a result of an incident last week, Stull was charged by Fairfax County Police with being drunk in public and with assaulting an officer in the booking room at the Groveton Sub-station. He was due to appear in Fairfax County Court October 22nd.
Funeral services for Private Yoakum will be held on Wednesday, 30 September from the First Baptist Church, 2900 King Street, at 2 p.m. The service will be conducted by the Reverend Harry Clark, and interment will take place in National Memorial Park, Falls Church.
A Masonic service will be held at the Cunningham Funeral Home, Cameron and Alfred Streets, at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, by members of the Henry Knoxfield Lodge #349, AF&AM.
Private Yoakum is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Marie Yoakum; daughters Marian and Sharon Yoakum; a son Tyron Yoakum; parents Robert T. and Myrtle Yoakum; sisters Mrs. Dorothy Jasinski, Caroline and Wanda Yoakum; brothers, Foster, Bobby and Hadley Gale Yoakum, all of Detroit, Michigan, and Lee Yoakum of Mount Clements, Michigan.
The Alexandria Gazette, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia, Tuesday, September 29, 1964.
The following article about Eugene was published on 29 September 1964 in the The Alexandria Gazette, printed in Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia. This article stated:
From Gary R. Hawpe, ed. and Earl Quintrell, comp., 'City Police Officer Dead in Early Morning Gunfight at Seay Street,' Van Bibber Pioneers E-Newsletter, Vol. 4 No. 11 (September 2001), pp. 5 - 7.
CITY POLICE OFFICER DEAD IN EARLY MORNING GUNFIGHT AT SEAY STREET
Fellow Policeman Slay Resident in Wild Exchange
Referring to the fatal shooting of an Alexandria policeman early Sunday morning, Major Russell A. Hawes, Chief of Alexandria Police Department, said yesterday: 'The majority of police officers killed in this county are killed on calls similar to the one to which Private Eugene Yoakum responded Sunday morning. He was a dedicated police officer - one of the most dedicated I've had the privilege of working with. He thought only of being a policeman and of doing a good job at it.'
Private Yoakum, 34, the father of the three children and a 10-year member of the Alexandria Police Force, lost his life at 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he was shot in the chest by Fred C. Stull, 23, of 2906 Seay Street, who, police said witness told them, had 'gone berserk.'
The sequent of events leading to Yoakum's death and the death of Stull from shots fired by Privates David Largen and Earl Caknipe began with a 'trouble call' to Alexandria Police Headquarters from a man who identified himself as Leroy David Beasley of 2905 Seay Street, and said that Stull had 'gone berserk' and beat him unconscious.
The dispatcher at police headquarters alerted Largen who was cruising in the area of Duke Street and Longview Drive.
Largen later said that when he arrived at 2906 Seay Street, Stull, armed with a revolver, was standing in the doorway of the apartment building. When he ordered Stull to drop the weapon, he reported, Stull threatened to shoot and was prevented from doing so by Dennis Perry of 2902 Seay Street, who grabbed his arm and tussled with him.
Largen returned to his cruiser to call for reinforcements, and was joined within minutes by Yoakum and Caknipe. Stull, Largen said, was in the doorway, brandishing a knife which he was holding in his left hand.
He and Yoakum were near the curb, 20 feet from the front of the apartment, Largen said, and Caknipe began to approach Stull, telling him to throw down the knife. Instead of discarding the weapon, the officer said, Stull brought his right hand from behind him and began firing. One of the first shots caught Yoakum in the chest, he said.
Largen and Caknipe returned the fire, and Stull fell dead in the doorway of his home.
Beasley, a staff sergeant in the U. S. Air Force, who is stationed at Fort Myers and works at the Pentagon, later told police that he had returned to his apartment about 10 p.m. and found his wife and a woman friend there. The group sat in the living room watching television and drinking beer, he said, and near midnight Stull came in. Beasley told investigating officers that Stull, who had a bottle of liquor with him, insisted that the group join a party at his apartment, which they did.
The group played records and danced and shortly after 1 a.m., Beasley said, 'then all hell broke loose.' Stull, he told the officer, 'went berserk' and grabbed him and beat him, banging his head against the wall until he was unconscious.
When he arrived, Bailey, said, he returned to his own apartment and called for police assistance and protection.
Beasley's call was logged by the dispatcher, Private Jack Logwood, at 1:28 a.m., according to Captain Francis H. Johnson, Chief of the Detective Bureau, yesterday.
Yoakum, a Staff Sergeant with the U. S. Marine Corps before he joined the Alexander Police Department in 1954, attracted world-wide attention last year to himself and his K-9 Mucho, when he strapped a receiving set to the dog's harness and trained him to respond to commands via walkie-talkie.
He was the eight police officer in Alexander to die in the performance of duty since 1929 and the first since Private Bobby Padgett was shot to death in 1959.
Born in Speedwell, Claiborne County, Tennessee, in 1932, Yoakum attended grade school in Forkridge, Claiborne County, and spent his high school years at Middlesboro High School, Bell County, Kentucky.
In 1950 Yoakum joined the U. S. Marine Corps and rose to the rank of staff sergeant before leaving the Corps in 1954, and joining the Alexandria Police Department.
A charter member of the K-9 Corps, Yoakum received a citation for excellence in the performance of his duties when he and Caknipe apprehended two men breaking into a store on Duke Street two years ago and only subdued them after gunplay. His fellow officer on that tour of duty was with him again Sunday morning.
Stull, who died with his victim, Johnson said, was wearing a cowboy belt and a holster with a thigh lanyard. He had a 38-cal. revolver and between 50 and 60 rounds of ammunition. Formerly employed by an Alexander bakery, he had left his job two weeks ago and taken one with a bakery concern in the District of Columbia.
As a result of an incident last week, Stull was charged by Fairfax County Police with being drunk in public and with assaulting an officer in the booking room at the Groveton Sub-station. He was due to appear in Fairfax County Court October 22nd.
Funeral services for Private Yoakum will be held on Wednesday, 30 September from the First Baptist Church, 2900 King Street, at 2 p.m. The service will be conducted by the Reverend Harry Clark, and interment will take place in National Memorial Park, Falls Church.
A Masonic service will be held at the Cunningham Funeral Home, Cameron and Alfred Streets, at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, by members of the Henry Knoxfield Lodge #349, AF&AM.
Private Yoakum is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Marie Yoakum; daughters Marian and Sharon Yoakum; a son Tyron Yoakum; parents Robert T. and Myrtle Yoakum; sisters Mrs. Dorothy Jasinski, Caroline and Wanda Yoakum; brothers, Foster, Bobby and Hadley Gale Yoakum, all of Detroit, Michigan, and Lee Yoakum of Mount Clements, Michigan.
The Alexandria Gazette, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Virginia, Tuesday, September 29, 1964.
Children of Eugene Yoakum and Elizabeth Marie Rogers
Last Edited=10 Mar 2011