In Memory

[Sergeant Kevin Foster, along with other officers, has been researching Fort Worth officers killed in the line of duty. If you have any information that you can share with him about Fort Worth Police Department officers that were killed on duty, please e-mail him at ksfoster1852@charter.net]

In 1876, the police department consisted of four police officers and one City Marshal. During the election of 1876, a local man, Columbus Fitzgerald, lost by three votes to Jim Courtright. The City Council then made him the city's first Deputy Marshal and 2nd in command of the Police Department.

On August 25, 1877, Deputy Marshal Columbus C. Fitzgerald was shot by three men while at a disturbance near the race track north of the bluff. He died the following day on August 26, 1877. He is buried at Pioneer Rest Cemetery.

Deputy City Marshal George White had arrested a man on a warrant for stealing a horse. White was transporting the man from Arlington to Fort Worth when the man's friends rode up behind him. White dismounted from his wagon and a gunfight ensued. White was able to kill one of his assailants and the other men fled the scene. During the fight, White was hit 18 times with buck shot. Even with his injuries, he was able to make it to Fort Worth but died from the injuries several days later.

Detective W. T. Wise was a Fort Worth Deputy City Marshal. In September of 1884, he went to Mississippi in pursuit of two wanted murderers. He caught up with them outside of Oxford Mississippi near the village of Sarepta. Detective Wise was ambushed and killed and then buried in a shallow grave. A search party found his grave the following day and gave him a decent burial in the Sarepta cemetery.

Wise's killer, Dock Bishop, was eventually captured and tried for the crime. He was convicted, sentenced to death, and executed July 3, 1886 in Calhoun County Mississippi. The rope used to hang Bishop was given to Detective Wise's widow.

On June 28, 1892, Officer Waller was working a foot beat in the "Acre" section of Fort Worth with his partner, Henry Townes. They had a run in with a gambler, Jim Burrus, aka Jim Toots on the sidewalk at Twelfth and Rusk. Toots left the scene and went and got a pistol. He later ambushed Officer Waller and Ware, shooting Waller four times. Officer Waller died June 30, 1892. He was 24 years old. Burrus was captured July 9 at Big Spring Texas hiding in a Texas and Pacific boxcar. He was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. In 1895 the sentence was commuted to life, and in 1902, Burrus was granted a full pardon.

Officer Grimes was shot and killed during a disturbance by a "hack" driver at the Union Depot on Front Street. The driver had been violating the "dead line ordinance" regarding where hacks could park to wait for fares. Officer Grimes died while awaiting the patrol wagon to take him to a hospital.

Officer John D. Nichols Jr. was a "special" officer and was assigned to the Standard Theater at Twelfth and Rusk. On the night of December 22, at about 11:55 p.m., Officer Nichols was called to the ticket office to settle a dispute with a customer, Barney Wise, a farmer from Red River County. Wise felt he had been cheated inside the theater. An argument quickly ensued and Wise shot Officer Nichols once in the chest. Nichols returned fire, wounding Wise. Officer Nichols died a few minutes later on a cot in the back of the theater. Wise recovered and was tried for the murder, but was acquitted.

Officer William Campbell and his partner, Officer Tom Jones were assigned to a foot beat in the "acre" of Fort Worth. On the night of August 12, Officers Campbell and Jones were walking down a sidewalk at Twelfth and Rusk in front of the Jockey Club Saloon. Suddenly, a shotgun was fired from behind the officers from a window above the saloon. Officer Campbell took the full load in his neck and upper back, stumbled, then fell dead on the sidewalk. The killer escaped the scene but was caught later in the evening. He was identified as Stokes Clark. At the time of the murder, Clark was on bond for the murder of a Texas Ranger in Weatherford in 1908. Numerous threats had been made against Officer Campbell due to the number of arrests he made on his beat.

During the months of January and February of 1912, an epidemic of neisseria meningitis hit the City of Fort Worth. Due to the outbreak, Fort Worth Police Officers were tasked with additional responsibilities including enforcing quarantines and dealing with the sick and dying.

Officer Dodd was assigned to Police Beat #4 which put him in direct contact with a large number of the afflicted citizens. On the evening of January 25, Officer became ill and went home from work. He reported to duty the next day, but left work early because he was unable to work. Officer Dodd's condition deteriorated and a doctor diagnosed meningitis and started treatment. Officer Dodd lost consciousness and died January 27, 1912.

Officer Ogletree was working a foot beat in the downtown area when he was called to the scene of a murder. Upon arriving at Eighth and Grove, he encountered the killer, Tom Lee, still armed with a double-barreled .12 gauge shotgun. Officer Ogletree ordered Lee to drop the weapon, but Lee fired both barrels, striking Officer Ogletree in the chest. Officer Ogletree staggered to the steps of a nearby saloon, drew his weapon, and fired at Lee but missed. Officer Ogletree was taken to St. Joseph infirmary where he died. Tom Lee shot himself trying to avoid capture. Lee survived his injuries, was convicted, and received a death sentence for the murders that day.

Officer R.P. Hollowell was a ten-year veteran of the Waco Police Department before coming to work for the Fort Worth Police. During his career in Waco, Officer Hollowell had been shot and stabbed a total of six times and had killed four men. Officer Hollowell came to Fort Worth in April 1913. On February 24, 1914, Officer R.P. Hollowell was en route to a call on his motorcycle when he struck a dog, causing him fall from his motorcycle. He was in and out of a coma, and never fully recovered from this accident. He died on December 26, 1914 as a result of complications from this accident and a previous wound to his lung where he had been stabbed some years earlier.

On June 26, 1915, Captain G. Frank Coffey was shot and killed while trying to make an arrest in front of a saloon on the corner of 25th and Main streets. Dispatched to arrest the owner for staging a fist fight in front of the saloon earlier that day, Coffey dragged the owner of the bar into the street after a heated argument. When forced to draw his revolver in the crowd that formed in the street, Coffey was shot three times by the saloon owner's brother and died instantly.

Officer Peter Howard was a twenty-five year veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department. He had served in numerous capacities including the mounted section. On the night of August 16, 1915, Officer Howard was working the "Franklin Hill" beat just west of Houston Street and north of the courthouse. On this night, he attempted to arrest a man who was acting suspiciously. While walking him to a call box, Officer Howard was attacked from behind by a second man. Officer Howard fired a shot trying to defend himself, but was overpowered. He was stabbed seven times in the back and his throat was laid open. His killers stole his two pistols and his Stetson hat. Officer Howard walked up Franklin Hill where assisting officer found him. He died a short time later at St. Joseph Infirmary. His killers received life in prison.

On October 21, 1916, Captain George Conant spent the day on a surveillance in an alley, waiting for a suspect in a stabbing to arrive. It was a cold, drizzly day and at the end of the day, Captain Conant was displaying cold symptoms and went home ill. Pneumonia quickly developed from this illness and Captain Conant died five days later on October 26, 1916.

On September 28, 1917, Police Commissioner Ed Parsley was called into his office to speak with J.K. Yates, a disgruntled former officer. Upon entering the office, Yates shut the door and almost immediately shot and killed Commissioner Parsley. Yates was himself shot and killed by responding officers in a gunfight inside the office. At least two other officers were wounded.

On May 6, 1919, Officer Warren began working as a Fort Worth Police Officer. Near the end of his first shift, Officer Warren was attempting to board a streetcar on Boaz Street near Front Street (now Lancaster) when he was hit by a second streetcar going the opposite direction. He was killed instantly.

In an act that was believed to have been one of premeditated revenge, Officer George G. Gresham was shot and killed on April 9, 1920 at the corner of Terry and 18th streets. Gresham was believed to have been set up by the same man who "shot up" the neighborhood the night before and who was chased out of the area by Gresham. While walking to the streetcar to go home, Gresham encountered a man crouched behind a telephone pole. When Gresham flashed his light on him, the man opened fire, striking the officer three times before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.

Joseph Burch Loper was a Fort Worth "Special" Officer and was assigned to the Frisco Freight Yards on Eighth Avenue. On October 20, 1920 at about 8:00 pm, Officer Loper left the Frisco yards and rode a train over to the Texas and Pacific yards to head into town for a meal. While walking though the Texas and Pacific Reservation, he was accosted by a man who pointed a handgun at him. Officer Loper reached for his pistol and the man opened fire, hitting Officer Loper in the chest. The man fled the scene but was arrested the following year near Belton, Texas and was convicted of the murder. Officer Loper died October 21, 1920 from his wounds and is buried in Cleburne, Texas.

Officer Jeff C. Couch 25 years old and had worked for the Fort Worth Police Department for two months. On December 20, he responded to the sounds of gunfire and found two men at Twelfth and Rusk at the Dollar Dodge Garage. After hearing the argument, Officer Couch decided to arrest both men. One of these men, Thomas Vickery, pulled his two pistols and forced Officer Couch to back up to a wall of the garage. He then shot Officer Couch seven times. Vickery quickly turned himself in to the sheriff and was placed in jail. He immediately confessed to the crime. On December 22, 1920, a well organized mob went to the jail and overpowered the night jailer. They took Vickery out of the jail and placed him in a waiting car. Vickery’s body was found a short time later near the Samuel Avenue bridge. He was hanging from a hackberry tree. His neck was broken and he had been shot numerous times in the head and torso. The members of the mob were never identified.

Officer John D. Bell died on August 13, 1921 from injuries sustained a day earlier when his motorcycle plowed into the curb at 4th and Commerce after a collision with an automobile. Bell was answering a burglary call when the car, attempting to turn onto 4th Street to make way for another police vehicle, struck the motorcycle and forced it into the curb. After trying to right his machine, Bell was thrown to the pavement, sustaining multiple injuries that later led to his death.

In April of 1922, extremely heavy rains and subsequent flooding hit parts of the City. Since the department only had about 100 officers, 500 men, mainly from the American Legion Post, were sworn-in as Special Police Officers to ensure adequate police protection.

On April 26, rescue workers found the body of one of the newly sworn in officers tangled in a barbed wire fence that had been submerged. It was learned that Special Officer Gentry had rescued a family of four trapped in the floodwaters before becoming entangled in the fence and drowning.

Near midnight on Tuesday, March 6, the Motorcycle Squad was returning from working at the Fat Stock Show and was headed to the Police Station downtown. The squad was following behind a streetcar which stopped; however, Officer Lewis was unable to stop in time and collided with the rear of the streetcar. Lewis received head injuries and massive injuries to the left side of his chest. Officer Lewis was taken to the hospital, but died hours later.

On Tuesday, January 13, 1925 Officer Brewster was on bicycle patrol with his partner, Officer J.B. Graham. At about 1:30 a.m., they stopped to eat their dinner at the Travis Avenue Baptist Church office. Due to a recent spate of burglaries at Piggly Wiggle Grocery stores, when they saw a car turn onto Hemphill Street and head toward a Piggly Wiggly they hastily prepared to follow the car.

As Officer Brewster grabbed his coat, he accidentally jostled his pistol holster. The gun came loose and struck the floor and discharged. The bullet struck Officer Brewster in the thigh and traveled upward to about the middle of his back. Officer Brewster was taken to All Saints Hospital and the bullet was removed; however, the injuries proved to be too serious. Officer Brewster died that evening of his injuries.

Bicycle Officer Frank Maco was killed on December 23, 1926 when he was pushed from the running board of a speeding car he was trying to force to a halt. Witnesses said Maco, who was assisting in the painting of "Stop" lines, leapt onto the running board of the car after the driver refused to halt as requested. After firing a shot at the driver, Maco was pushed and thrown from the car, receiving the injuries that led to his death later that day.

On April 11, 1908, Officer Dick Howell was in the offices of the North Fort Worth Police Department and was speaking with O.R. Montgomery, City Marshal. While there, reports of a shooting incident nearby came in. Marshal Montgomery and Officer Howell responded to the scene and confronted the suspect, Ike Knight. During the course of trying to arrest Knight, Knight fired a shotgun at Montgomery, striking him in the midsection and disabling him. Knight then shot Howell in the leg. Nearby citizens then intervened and Knight was taken into custody without further incident.

Both Montgomery and Howell were taken to a local hospital. Montgomery recovered from his injuries, but Howell's leg had to be amputated. After the amputation, Howell suffered the first of a series of strokes. Although health problems continued, Howell was able to return to law enforcement for several years. He died on September 30, 1927 shortly after suffering a fourth stroke.

Bicycle Officer George Turner was shot and killed on May 21, 1928 after attempting to stop a vehicle that had tried to run him down earlier in the week. Officer Turner spotted the car, which officers had been seeking for several days, and with two other officers gave a chase in a patrol car. When the three approached the car after stopping it at East Rosedale and Louisiana Avenue, one of the passengers drew a .45 automatic pistol and fired at Turner point blank. Turner fired a single shot before falling to the ground and died 30 minutes later.

On March 27, 1935, Officer Graham was off-duty when he was involved in a traffic accident at 25th Street and Market. The driver that struck his vehicle was intoxicated. Officer Graham attempted to arrest the driver, who then resisted. During the course of the resistance, Officer Graham was bitten on his finger. The driver was arrested and charged with DWI and with assault. A week later, the bite became infected. Despite an emergency amputation, the wound continued to fester. On May 10, 1935, Officer Graham died as a result of the blood poisoning from the wound.

On November 11, Retired Officer Driskill died at his north Fort Worth home. His death was an indirect result of severe injuries he suffered after being struck by a motor vehicle as he stepped off a curb.

Officer Courtney became an officer in 1923. He was one of the first bike officers and held numerous positions in the department. In 1931, Officer Courtney got into a fight trying to arrest a man at the courthouse. He was struck on the chest and suffered a severe lung injury. Officer Courtney returned to duty but over the years, his lung condition became progressively worse. He was forced to medically retire a few months before his death. He died on March 24, 1938, as a result of this injury.

Officer Bounds was the "Livestock Officer" and patrolled at night on horseback. On December 9, 1938, Officer Bounds suffered a massive heart attack and died while trying to round up livestock that had been illegally turned out at night to graze. Officer Bounds' body was found in a ravine the following day.

On July 16, Officer Kennedy was on routine patrol with his partner, Officer C.J. Carter, when they discovered a stolen car. Officer Carter was driving the car back to the police station and Officer Kennedy was driving the police unit. Shortly after starting back, Officer Carter saw the police vehicle veer into an embankment. He found Officer Kennedy barely breathing. The police radio was not functioning properly, so Officer Carter left to find a telephone. By the time help arrived, Officer Kennedy was dead from an apparent heart attack.

Motorcycle Officer W. O. Whatley died in the hospital of injuries suffered the week before when his motorcycle was struck by a car. Working with a partner, Whatley was in pursuit of a speeding car heading east on 28th Street when his motorcycle was struck by a car headed south on Jacksboro Highway. Whatley was thrown 12 feet from his machine and suffered a fractured skull and internal injuries, from which he later died.

Detective H. E. Cleveland was shot and killed in a wild midday gunfight on February 7, 1952. Cleveland and three other detectives had gone to 1933 Queen Street to arrest a man believed to have taken part in the January 2nd $11,000 robbery of a Dallas café. After entering the house, Cleveland was shot in the back and shoulder. After the other detectives shot the suspect in a blazing gun battle, Cleveland was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Motorcycle Officer Charles W. Hoffman died on June 17, 1952 from injuries sustained in an accident on June 15. The accident occurred at NW 21st Street and Ephriham when Hoffman collided with a car while pursuing a speeding vehicle. Only three days earlier Hoffman had told his squad sergeant that he thought his luck was running out in chasing speeders and that he would like to be transferred off of motorcycle duty.

Motorcycle Officer Namon L. Cox was killed on June 20, 1952 when his motorcycle and a car collided in the 3400 block of Hemphill and he was thrown into the path of another car. Officer Cox was trailing an ambulance when he was struck by the car as it tried to get out of his way. He was then thrown some 60 feet under the wheels of another car, sustaining the injuries that led to his death.

Officer Marvin E. Wills had worked in the patrol division, vice section and was assigned to the warrant section where he was working at the time of his death. Officer Wills was working off-duty at the Western Hills Hotel on Christmas night, 1955. Something got the attention of Officer Wills, and he left the hotel, walking 200 yards south to a vacant lot. Officer Wills became involved in an altercation and was bitten on both hands and arms, was struck twice on the head, and was shot four times with his own pistol. A witness had reported two cars parked on the vacant lot just prior to the murder. Why Officer Wills went to the vacant lot was never determined. The killers were never captured and Officer Wills’ pistol was never recovered.

Officer James L. Dowdy was killed on June 18, 1956 when his motorcycle struck the left dual wheel of a trailer truck. Dowdy and a partner were chasing drag racers they had spotted at Northwest 23rd and North Main.

Officer C. W. Harmon died on Sunday, October 6, 1957 two days after his motorcycle was struck by a car in the 2700 block of East Lancaster. Harmon was a new officer on the force and was on his way to work to attend the police training school when the accident happened. Harmon died from back and neck injuries suffered in the accident.

Officer L. H. Walton was killed shortly before noon on May 20, 1959. Cited by many as Fort Worth’s most courteous policeman, Walton was struck by a car a few yards off the South Freeway near the Southwest Loop. Walton was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, his motorcycle was completely crushed.

Motorcycle Officer Hal C. Stephenson was on duty when his motorcycle and a car collided on September 28, 1968 at the 287/Lancaster exit of the I-30 Freeway. The driver of the car told investigators he did not see Stephenson coming up on the right hand side of his car when he changed lanes to take the exit. Stephenson received a broken leg and serious internal injuries. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital where he died on October 2, 1968.

Officer E. M. Belcher was slain by a sniper's bullet on October 18, 1971. The shooting took place outside the Electric Circus night club at 3140 S. Riverside Drive and was one of a long string of incidents at the club. The shooting occurred during the aftermath of an earlier incident in which a 23 year old man was shot. Belcher was among some 24 police who responded to the call after the first shooting. The bullet which killed Belcher was believed to have been fired from the top of a restaurant about 200 yards away.

Officer William V. Welch died May 21, 1973 from a gunshot wound received the night before. Welch, a six year veteran of the force, had walked in on a robbery in progress at a 7-11 store on Camp Bowie. The suspect, who was standing at the counter when Welch entered turned and fired from point blank range before running from the store. After initially falling, Welch got to his feet and emptied his revolver at the fleeing suspect. Welch was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where he died several hours later.

Officer H. P. Mailloux was shot and killed on November 29, 1975 after stopping a white Ford with license plates matching those of a car reportedly used in an armed robbery the night before. Officer David Malone, Mailloux’s backup officer, arrived only seconds after Mailloux had stopped the vehicle. Malone found Mailloux lying in the street, shot in the chest. He lifted the wounded officer into his patrol car and drove to John Peter Smith Hospital, where Mailloux died minutes later.

Officer Ludwig Bruno died March 2, 1977 from complications resulting from internal injuries sustained February 6 when he was struck by a car that afterwards sped from the scene. Officer Bruno was directing traffic around vehicles involved in a collision when he was struck by the car in the 1100 block of N.E. 28th Street. He sustained a broken leg, facial cuts and internal injuries at the time. He died when a blood clot formed in one lung almost a month later.

Officer Randall L. Fletcher was struck and killed by a car on August 30, 1977 while helping a trucker display emergency flares on the North Freeway. Fletcher's patrol car was in the left hand lane of the freeway as he worked with the trucker to place flares around the stranded truck. A car, whose driver was later found to be intoxicated, plowed into the officer, wedging him between it and the patrol car. Officer Fletcher was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

Officer Jesse R. Parris, died September 6, 1977 two and a half hours after he was shot responding to a call in the Como area. Parris, a 22 year veteran who was responding to a back up call on a man with a gun at 3513 Horne, encountered a suspect at the corner of Faron and Wellesley. Parris was shot once in the chest while trying to arrest the suspect and died later in surgery.

Officer Jimmie F. Chadwell, assigned to the Department's Fugitive Squad, was shot and killed on December 11, 1978 as he and two other officers attempted to serve a warrant at 3514 Ross Avenue. The suspect fired at the officers as they waited in the house for the man. Shots were exchanged and Chadwell was hit three times, once by shots from a fellow officer, and was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

Detective Turner was driving his unmarked police unit and was killed in an one-car accident. The exact cause of the accident was never determined.

Officer J. C. Gaul, 36, died January 10, 1979 from wounds sustained in a shootout with a deranged gunman on January 5. Gaul, a 13 year police veteran, was wounded in the head and leg when he and another officer approached the front door of a house at 3401 Pearl to answer a call reporting a man firing a gun. The man was later killed by the police.

Officer Kenneth W. Pendergraft was shot and killed April 8, 1980 in a shoot-out with a truck driver. The shooting took place near Pendergraft's home on the far East side. Pendergraft, a 12 year veteran, who was off duty at the time, approached the truck driver and asked him not to dump garbage in or near his driveway. The truck drove off, but returned. Pendergraft walked back to the truck, then the driver opened fire with a .44 magnum pistol, shooting Pendergraft. After returning fire, Pendergraft was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Pendergraft was declared on duty when he attempted to enforce a City Ordinance against illegal dumping of trash.

Officer Darrel G. Moon, a plainclothes officer assigned to the Vice Unit, died July 15, 1980 from a gunshot wound he sustained in a shoot-out in downtown Fort Worth on July 13. He and three other officers were attempting to arrest three men they had been pursuing when Moon was accidentally shot in the head with a bullet fired from the gun of his partner.

While working security for the Rocket Club at 2310 Jacksboro Highway after his duty hours, Detective Camfield arrested a person with a pistol and confiscated the weapon. Another person grabbed Camfield's partner’s gun, pointed it at Camfield and demanded the confiscated weapon. Detective Camfield drew his own weapon and fired at the suspect who then returned fire. The subject died at the scene and Detective Camfield died several hours later at John Peter Smith Hospital.

Officer Walter S. Taylor was injured fatally in a one car accident. He died as a result of injuries received when his patrol car plunged off the Montgomery Street bridge, under construction, and landed on the West Freeway. There was no evidence that Officer Taylor was in pursuit, actions or activities that would have contributed to the accident. Toxicology examinations showed no indications of drugs, alcohol or medications in the officer’s system at the time of the accident.

Officer Brent D. Wisdom was killed on September 2, 1992 as he assisted a stranded motorist on the frontage road in the 4000 block of the South Freeway. Officer Wisdom stopped to assist in changing a flat tire, parking his patrol unit behind the vehicle. Officer Wisdom was pinned between the stranded vehicle and the vehicle that was driven by an intoxicated subject.

While off duty, Detective Donald J. Manning was on a date in Oakland Lake Park, 1645 Lakeshore Drive, when he and his female friend were approached by a group of male subjects who attempted to rob them. An exchange of gunfire occurred and Detective Manning was shot. He was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital and died the next day.

Officer Alan F. Chick was assisting a stranded motorist in the 1400 block of Southeast Loop 820 when he was struck by an intoxicated driver. Officer Chick was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where he died several days later. The driver was arrested and convicted for intoxication manslaughter.

Officer Jesse D. Moorman was chasing a burglar in East Division near Sandy Lane. The burglar led him through a field where Officer Moorman suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Air One, the police helicopter, made the scene and transported Officer Moorman to the hospital where he later died. The burglar was eventually caught.

On November 29, 2005, Officer Nava and two other officers went to a mobile home to serve a felony warrant. At the location, the suspect shot Officer Nava, fled the scene, and took a neighbor hostage before surrendering a few hours later. Officer Nava was transported to the hospital and died two days later of his injuries.

On December 17, 2006, Officer Freeto perished in a motor vehicle accident. Officer Freeto was assisting a stranded motorist when his 2005 Ford Crown Victoria was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by 21 year old male. Witnesses stated both vehicles burst into flames upon impact, trapping Officer Freeto. A Good Samaritan who had also stopped to help the motorist and an off-duty officer who was driving by at the time attempted to free Officer Freeto but were unsuccessful.