Lemuel Rodney Custis: Hartford's First Black Police Officer

He became the city's first black police officer in 1939, but the pioneering didn't end there for Lemuel Rodney Custis. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army and became one of the illustrious Tuskeegee Airmen, the nation's first black combat pilots. He flew 92 missions and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism. Custis was buried Saturday in Cedar Hill Cemetery, with military honors. His accomplishments were reported in today's Hartford Courant.