Great Falls police officer Shane Russell Chadwick, who was killed in the line of duty 30 years ago, will soon be recognized with a memorial mural.
On September 7, 1994, Chadwick was shot and killed while responding to a noise complaint at an apartment complex. The suspect was shoveling birdseed to hundreds of birds, causing a lot of noise.
As Chadwick approached, the man suddenly turned and shot at him with two 9-mm handguns. The suspect was later shot and killed by a police sniper.
Chadwick was survived by his wife and son.
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The Chadwick Memorial Mural Dedication will be on Saturday, September 7, 2024, beginning at 8 a.m.
It will be at 721 First Alley North, and will be attended by current and former GFPD officers.
The event is free and open to everyone.
Fundraising for the mural has been underway for several months; click here for information.
On the 25th anniversary of Chadwick's death, then-GFPD Chief David Bowen spoke of Chadwick’s legacy as a great leader and friend.
Bowen started his career with the police department around the same time as Chadwick: "My badge number is 162 and his badge number was 167. So, there were only five numbers separating us,“ Bowen said.
Bowen fondly remembers Chadwick as a man who was ‘larger than life’.
“I often joke that, you know, if I wasn't the Chief of Police I think he would've been. I mean he just was that kind of guy that everybody respected, that everybody just looked up to. He was a leader, tremendous individual. Larger than life, not just as a person with his physical attributes, but the kind of guy he was.”
Click here to read memories of Chadwick on the Officer Down Memorial Page.
