Wichita Police Detective Vincent Van (Courtesy of Wichita Police)
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita Police Department detective whose life was saved by co-workers in 2014 has retired.
Detective Vince Van is retiring after 32 years with the Wichita Police Department. He was the first Vietnamese American to serve in the WPD.
Over the years, he held various positions, including as a Vietnamese translator. His last job was with the Training Office.
In 2015, while Detective Van was working in the Financial Crimes Bureau, he suffered a heart attack. Van and his friends, Santiago Hungria, now captain of the Southern Patrol Bureau, and retired Lt. Clark Weimeyer, were on a run in Riverside Park on November 12, 2024, when Van suddenly collapsed.
Capt. Hungria and Lt. Weimeyer immediately called 911 and began CPR until emergency personnel arrived. Detective Van recovered and returned to duty in 2015.
On Friday, WPD held a retirement ceremony for Van.