Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

Directory of Names on the Memorial, H-R

Michael Haen
Type of Officer: Police Reserve
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 7/28/1978
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Reserve Officer Haen was sent to assist with traffic control at an accident site. During the investigation, a police officer attempted to make an arrest. A disturbance began, shots were exchanged between the officer and the suspect and Haen was hit. He died at the hospital a short time later.

Edward Hageman
Type of Officer: Constable
Jurisdiction: Logan
County: Phillips
Death Date: 5/27/1891
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Hageman, the city constable of Logan in Phillips County, was serving a warrant for foreclosure or payment for property held by Cyrus Aldrich in Norton County. Aldrich shot and killed Hageman when he attempted to retrieve the property.

Code H. Hall
Type of Officer: Chief of Police
Jurisdiction: Hugoton
County: Stevens
Death Date: 8/25/1976
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
Chief Hall was called to assist in a high speed pursuit of several subjects on motorcycles. He suffered a fatal heart attack while in pursuit but did manage to get his patrol car stopped without injury to anyone else.

Edward F. Hall
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 4/10/1925
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Hall and a detective were attempting to stop a car. As they pulled alongside, gunfire came from within the vehicle without warning. Officer Hall was killed.

Melvin C. Hamilton
Type of Officer: Undersheriff
Jurisdiction: Labette County
County: Labette
Death Date: 10/15/1930
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
While transporting two prisoners who had been convicted of robbing the Edna bank, from Oswego to the state penitentiary,Undersheriff Hamilton and Sheriff Alfred Coad were shot by one of the prisoners. The assailant had used a concealed revolve rand it was suspected that the gun may have been "slipped" to him by accomplices. Undersheriff Hamilton was killed instantly in
the shooting, and Sheriff Coad was seriously wounded. An accompanying special deputy, also riding in the car, shot and killed the assailant.

Robert J. Hammers
Type of Officer: Town Marshal
Jurisdiction: Clearwater
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 3/14/1934
Added to Memorial: 1989
Circumstances of Death:
Although there were no witnesses to the shooting it is supposed that acting Town Marshall Robert J. Hammers discovered a robbery in progress. Approximately 1:30 A.M., March 14th, he engaged in a gun battle with the unknown thieves and lost his

Donald R. Harbour
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Ogden
County: Riley
Death Date: 8/9/1982
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Harbour, assigned to patrol duty in Ogden, responded to a routine call about suspicious activity at a pawnshop. Reportedly one man was attempting to sell a rifle as two others remained in a car outside. As Harbour ordered the two to step out of the car, they attempted to drive away. Harbour shot the tires out, an done suspect fired back, hitting Harbour. The man inside the shop was arrested, while another was arrested after he had abducted a woman and wrecked his car. The third was killed in a car crash as he attempted to run a roadblock.

Andrew F. Hartwick
Type of Officer: Park Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Topeka
County: Shawnee
Death Date: 5/19/1921
Added to Memorial: 1997
Circumstances of Death:
Andrew Hartwick, Ripley park (Topeka) police officer, was shot May 19, 1921. He was shot as he attempted to remove three Mexican youths from the park after discovering they were shooting birds. Manuel Lopez and Joaquin Padillo were arrested for the crime. Padillo reportedly had a grudge against Hartwick. He had flashed a gun at Hartwick a week prior when he arrested Padillo for killing fish in the Ripley pool. A coroner's jury found Lopez as the killer and placed him on trial. Padillo claimed that he was at home at the time of the shooting and did not go to trial. Lopez admitted that he and two other youths were in the park and that they were shooting at birds but denied that he did the shooting and blamed it on another youth whose name he did not know. The only "white" witness to the shooting claimed that Lopez and Padillo were not the young "Mexican" who almost collided with her as she went through the park, soon after the shooting. Lopez was acquitted.

Virgil E. Healea
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Marion
County: Marion
Death Date: 3/10/1916
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Marshal Healea noticed two suspicious acting men who had awakened a gas station owner to obtain gasoline for their car.Upon questioning them, his suspicions grew. Healea checked with other towns and learned the men had not been truthful. He returned to the station and began to search them, but when he turned his back on one of the suspects, the other drew a gun and shot the marshal.

Harry Hedrick
Type of Officer: Police Sergeant
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 8/5/1963
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Sergeant Hedrick and his partner, Officer Bill Luna, were sent to investigate a report of shots being fired. Upon their arrival at the scene, they observed a man rummaging through a trash can and another with a coat over his arm. When the policy car stopped, the man with the coat approached, questioning the officers. The subject had a handgun under the coat and fired at Hedrick at point blank range, and then exchanged gunfire with Luna. The assailant was shot by another officer who had arrived
to assist. Sergeant Hedrick was dead on arrival at the hospital.

Orla F. Hefner
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Kearny County
County: Kearny
Death Date: 8/3/1920
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
An itinerant worker at a ranch was attempting to sell a car with Texas license plates. When the attempted sale was reported to the sheriff, he discovered a search was in progress for the vehicle. Hefner went to the ranch to arrest the suspect, Walter Tunis. Tunis accompanied Hefner to the sheriff's car, but when the sheriff began to crank the car to start it, Tunis shot him in the back. The killer was tracked down and killed by a posse.

James H. Helms
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Osawatomie
County: Miami
Death Date: 1/20/1895
Added to Memorial: 1991
Circumstances of Death:
James H. Helms heard an explosion about 3:10 A.M. in downtown Osawatomie Sunday, January 20, 1895. Borrowing a lantern
from a friend he went to investigate. Neither officer Helms nor his four companions were especially concerned. His companions allowed him to check the rear of buildings near Main and Church Streets by himself, while they stood and chatted. Less than five minutes later the group heard three shots and a groan. They ran to get weapons and returned. They found the body of officer Helms in a small ditch with a revolver in his hand.

William Hicks
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 12/8/1929
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Hicks and his partner were on a motorcycle patrol when a citizen informed them of a burglary in progress. Arriving at the crime scene, Hicks covered the back entrance and his partner watched the front. They ordered the burglars to surrender,but gunshots were exchanged and Hicks was hit. He later died at the hospital.

Bernard C. Hill
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: El Dorado
County: Butler
Death Date: 5/28/1967
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Trooper Hill was killed west of El Dorado in a head-on collision with a car that was proceeding in the wrong direction.

Frank Hill
Type of Officer:
Jurisdiction: Sedgwick County
County: Sedgwick County
Death Date: 8/16/1927
Added to Memorial: 2003
Circumstances of death:
On August 16, 1927, Deputy Frank Hill was killed during an attempted escape from the Sedgwick County jail. Deputy Hill, the jailer, had opened the main door to the cellblock for a lunch delivery without first securing all the inmates in their cells. Seizing upon this opportunity, three prisoners ran for the opening. Deputy Hill attempted to close the door but one of the prisoners, using a revolver smuggled into him, shot and killed Hill before he could block the avenue of escape. Deputy Hill was forty years old at the time his death and was survived by his wife and daughter.

Milton Hinkle
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Pittsburg
County: Crawford County
Death Date: 12/25/1902
Added to Memorial: 2004
Circumstances of death:
Late on Christmas Eve 1902, Officer Milton Hinkle attempted to arrest a Pittsburg, Kansas resident for disorderly conduct. The man, with the help of several friends, resisted arrest. During the altercation that followed, one of the suspects gained control of Officer Hinkle's gun and shot the officer in the head. Officer Hinkle died a short time later. 41 years old at the time of his death, Hinkle left a wife and daughter.

Charles Hoffman
Type of Officer: Police Detective
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 11/23/1921
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Suspected murderer and gangster Eddie Adams, whose gang had already killed officers A. L. Young and Robert Fitzpatrick,was attempting to rent a car from a motor livery. Evidently the police were alerted. When Office Hoffman and two others entered the back door of the livery, Adams recognized them and drew his gun. Detective Hoffman lunged forward, seizing Adams, but Adams worked his gun hand free and fired, killing Hoffman instantly. He then fired on one of the other officers,hitting him. The third officer, hidden behind a pillar, took aim and killed Adams
The body of the notorious gangster was taken to the Wichita undertaker and by one o'clock the following afternoon, over nine thousand people had viewed the body.

William Hogsett
Type of Officer: Special Police
Jurisdiction: Oswego
County: Labette
Death Date: 10/3/1874
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
William Hugest attempted to quiet a disturbance at the county fairgrounds between John Bagby and another man who were in an altercation about a seat in the fair's "rotary swing" ride. When Hugest attempted to arrest Bagby, Bagby stabbed the policeman with a large pocketknife. Another policeman, Charles Westfall, rushed to assist and also was stabbed but later recovered. Hogsett died on the scene. The constable and others arrested Bagby but, fearing the crowd was "ready to lynch Bagby on the spot . . . spirited him away to Fort Scott."

Cassius M. Hollister
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Sumner County
County: Sumner
Death Date: 10/18/1884
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Sheriff "Cash" Hollister, a former deputy U.S. Marshal, and George Davis, a member of a posse, attempted to arrest Bob Cross for abducting the daughter of a well-to-do farmer, Joshua Hannum. Cross was hiding in his home and Hollister had tried to talk him into surrendering. When the deputy threatened to set the house on fire, Cross fired through the door, killing Hollister.

Marcus W. Hood
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Topeka
County: Shawnee
Death Date: 11/1/1974
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Hodd was killed while on patrol in his police helicopter. The drive shaft broke, causing the helicopter to crash. Hood purposely chose to maneuver his craft to avoid hitting an automobile loaded with passengers.

Stephen L. Hopper
Type of Officer: Sheriff Sergeant
Jurisdiction: Butler County
County: Butler
Death Date: 5/19/1979
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Sergeant Hopper, a former Andover Chief of Police, was responding to a civil disturbance call. En route, he was killed in an automobile accident.

Melvin C. Howe
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Lawrence
County: Douglas
Death Date: 4/24/1931
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Howe had stopped a driver who was swerving his car on the road. Howe did not know that the driver, Oney Knight,was an escaped murderer from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Howe approached the car on foot. As he reached the car,Knight stepped out and shot the officer twice. Howe's partner, John Ingals, fired at the escaping fugitive but failed to stop him.

Jeff William Howey
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Topeka
County: Shawnee
Death Date: 6/13/2000
Added to Memorial: 2001
Circumstances of Death:
On the night of June 13, 2000, Officer Jeff William Howey, a Topeka Police Department helicopter pilot, was killed when the helicopter he was riding in crashed while responding to a burglary call. Officer Howey and Officer Charles Joseph “Joey”Bohlender, Jr. were assisting ground units searching for a reported burglar at a southwest Topeka business. The officers were flying in a circular pattern around the business at an altitude of 1500 feet. As the officers were maneuvering a turn over an open elevated field west of the business, the helicopter went out of control for an unknown reason and crashed. The thirty-seven year old Officer Howey died as a result of the accident. He was an eight-year veteran of the Topeka Police Department. He joined the department in August 1992 and served in the uniform patrol division until transferring to the helicopter
unit in October 1998. He received the department’s Commendation Bar in 1996. A U.S. Army veteran, Officer Howey served a combined seventeen years with the U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard. He is survived by his wife Nina and two daughters.

Larry Lee Huff
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: Clay Center
County: Clay
Death Date: 11/26/1993
Added to Memorial: 1994
Circumstances of Death:
On November 3, 1993, at about 9:15 p.m., Master Trooper Huff was patrolling southbound on U.S. Highway 81 south of Concordia. He observed a speeder traveling northbound on U.S. 81 and began to make a U-turn to stop the violator. As Huff made the U-turn, a semi-truck that had been following him struck his patrol car. The collision seriously injured Huff, who was pinned in his vehicle for 45 minutes and had to be extricated using the jaws of life. He was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Concordia and succumbed to his injuries on November 26, 1993.

William L. Humpries
Type of Officer: Police Detective
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 2/23/1915
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Humpries, the first Wichita officer to lose his life in the line of duty, was attempting to question a suspect that he had cornered in
a pool hall. The trapped suspect pulled a handgun and fired from close range at the officer. Humpries attempted to seize his assailant but collapsed and died.

Robert D. Hurd
Type of Officer: Corrections Officer
Jurisdiction: Lansing
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 10/11/1981
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Corrections Officer Hurd was stabbed to death by an inmate at the state penitentiary. The inmate was angered by a disciplinary report that Hurd was about to file. Officer Hurd lived in Olathe.

Jerry R. Ivey
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Salina
County: Saline
Death Date: 6/13/1975
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Ivey stopped a vehicle answering the description of a car used moments earlier in a robbery at a Dillon's grocery store.The suspect jumped from the car, sprayed the officer with mace, and both men drew their weapons. Ivey fired six rounds and the suspect fired twelve. As Ivey attempted to reach his shotgun in the patrol car, the suspect shot him in the back. Following a chase and additional gunfire, the suspect was captured by several police officers.

Alfred F. Jacka
Type of Officer: Undersheriff
Jurisdiction: Barton County
County: Barton
Death Date: 11/28/1950
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Undersheriff Jacka, who had recently been elected sheriff, was searching for two farmers reported overdue at their homes. Driving west of Great Bend, he discovered the two men, electrocuted by electrical wires which had been shot down by vandals. As Jacka approached the bodies in the dark, he brushed a wire and was also electrocuted.

Archie K. Jacobs
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Morton County
County: Morton
Death Date: 11/26/1976
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On patrol in a zero visibility blizzard, Jacobs' car and another vehicle collided at a rural intersection. Jacobs had been on the force for two years and was only twenty-two years old when he died.

Jimmie Jacobs
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: El Dorado
County: Butler
Death Date: 10/6/1959
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Trooper Jacobs was on an emergency blood plasma run when he was killed in an auto accident on a county road south of El Dorado.

Steve A. Jenkins
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Augusta
County: Butler
Death Date: 4/25/1924
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
While on patrol on August 18, 1924, Officer Jenkins noticed a man hiding inside the Augusta Standard Oil service station. Jenkins ordered him to come out. The suspected burglar came out shooting, hitting Officer Jenkins four times. Jenkins was able to return the fire, instantly killing burglar Harry Parsons. Officer Jenkins died of his wounds seven days later.

James L. Johnson
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: County
County: Sheridan
Death Date: 10/26/2006
Added to Memorial: 2007
Circumstances of Death:
On October 26, 2006, Sheridan County Sheriff James L. "Jimmy" Johnson called a local citizen into his office to discuss some activities and behavior the man had been displaying since the death of his father at the hands of a drunk driver. Sheriff Johnson convinced the man to commit himself to a mental health facility to get help, but when asked to take off his jacket, the man pulled out a handgun and shot Sheriff Johnson multiple times. A deputy in the office responded and shot and killed the assailant. Sheriff Johnson was taken to the Sheridan County Hospital and pronounced dead en route to Colby Municipal Airport, where he was to be flown to Wichita for treatment. James Johnson was first elected Sheriff of Sheridan County in 1988. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. Sheriff Johnson is survived by his wife, Linda, and six adult children

John W. Johnson
Type of Officer: Corrections Officer
Jurisdiction: U.S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 9/29/1974
Added to Memorial: 2006
Circumstances of Death:
Corrections Officer John W. Johnson was fatally stabbed by an inmate while working on the third tier of “B” cellhouse. No motive was given for the stabbing.

Roy V. Johnson
Type of Officer: Sheriff Detective
Jurisdiction: Sedgwick County
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 10/31/1974
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
In an attempt to escape, a county prisoner seized a police officer's gun. During the ensuing scuffle, the officer was shot and the prisoner continued his escape. Detective Johnson and another officer responded to the shooting and attempted to rescue the wounded officer and capture the prisoner. In the attempt, both Johnson and the other officer were shot. Another officer responding was also shot by the prisoner. Detective Johnson was dead on arrival at the hospital. Detective Johnson was awarded the department's Medal of Honor.

Wilson "Alex" C. Johnson, Jr.
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Junction City
County: Geary
Death Date: 12/3/2001
Added to Memorial: 2002
Circumstances of Death:
At 4:30 a.m. on December 3, 2001, Officer Wilson C. A. Johnson, Jr. received a fatal gunshot wound while assisting a domestic battery victim to recover her two children who were being held in a Junction City apartment building. The domestic battery suspect shot Officer Johnson during a confrontation in the apartment. Officer Johnson died at the scene. After shooting Officer Johnson, the suspect attempted to leave the building but another Junction City police officer thwarted his escape. The suspect retreated to the apartment where he took his own life. The two children, ages one and three, were unharmed. Officer Johnson served the Junction City Police Department for eighteen years as a patrolman and detective. He joined the department after a twenty-year Army career that included two tours of duty in Vietnam and tours of duty in Korea and Germany. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Junction City Police Officers Association, and the Kansas Peace Officers Association. Officer Johnson was fifty-six years old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife Hermine Linda Johnson and two stepsons, David and Michael Quintenar.

Oliver P. Jones
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Enterprise
County: Dickinson
Death Date: 3/29/1962
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
Marshal Jones, as was his usual daily practice, parked his patrol car on First Street to monitor the heavy traffic of sand trucks from a nearby quarry. One of the trucks failed to negotiate the corner and struck the patrol car. Jones was knocked to the ground and run over.

W. G. Jones
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Cherryvale
County: Montgomery County
Death Date: 12/29/1903
Added to Memorial: 2004
Circumstances of death:
Cherryvale City Marshal W. G. Jones was shot on the afternoon of December 28, 1903, while attempting to serve an arrest warrant to a local resident. Jones and his deputy knocked on the door of the local citizen and, not being welcomed, forced their way into the dwelling. As Marshal Jones climbed the stairs in search of suspect, the man fired on him from above. Jones' deputy sought medical attention for the marsahl as soon as possible, but Jones died of his wounds early the next morning. Marshal Jones, a Kentuckian who had lived in Kansas for 2 years, was 38 years old at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Henry N. Kenaga
Type of Officer: Corrections Officer
Jurisdiction: Lansing
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 6/20/1954
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Corrections Office Kenaga responded to a situation in which inmates at the state penitentiary, armed with guns and knives, had rushed the visitors' room and seized at least six hostages. The inmates were crossing the prison yard when they encountered Kenaga. When the office attempted to prevent their escape, he was fatally shot. After a brief exchange of gunfire, and a call for additional enforcement officers, the prisoners were surrounded and returned to their cells. They were charged with first degree murder.

Kenneth M. Kennedy
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Hutchinson
County: Reno
Death Date: 9/15/1972
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Kennedy was making an undercover purchase of alcoholic beverages at a location suspected to be bootlegging and operating illegal gambling devices. After making the purchase, Officer Kennedy and fellow officer John Coldren identified themselves and attempted to make the arrest. As the officers scuffled with suspect Elmo Anderson, a Mrs. Jobe came from the kitchen with a gun and shot Coldren and Kennedy. Before he was shot, Kennedy shouted a warning to Coldren, who turned,thus causing the shot to miss a vital mark. Kennedy shot Mrs. Jobe before he died. Coldren survived his wound. Mrs. Jobe was convicted of second degree murder.

James R. Kenney
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Clay County
County: Clay
Death Date: 11/16/1999
Added to Memorial: 2000
Circumstances of Death:
On the afternoon of November 16, 1999, Clay County Deputy Sheriff James R. “Monk” Kenney approached the Morganville residence of an escaped inmate with other officers seeking to serve a search warrant. The officers were attempting to locate an escapee from the Cloud County Jail in Concordia. During the effort to execute the warrant, the suspect shot and killed Deputy Kenney. The deputy’s police dog, Copper, also was killed in the incident. The suspect was apprehended after the shooting and charged with capital murder. A six-year veteran of the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, the sixty-two-year-old Deputy Kenney had established the department’s canine unit. He had served with the Arkansas City and Wichita Police Department earlier in his career. He is survived by his wife Shirley Thompson; son Robert Kenney; daughters Julie Page and Suzanne Shields; stepson Dennis Pickering; and stepdaughters Christi Sanders, Cathy Weaver, and Wendi Holt.

David A. Kenyon
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 10/26/1962
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Kenyon was attempting to settle a domestic disturbance. He escorted a woman from the scene when her husband obtained a weapon and fired, evidently at his wife, but hit and killed Kenyon.

Earl J. Kerns
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Stevens County
County: Stevens
Death Date: 12/13/1949
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
In the process of arresting a subject for public drunkenness, Sheriff Kerns suffered a blow to the chest. He died later that night
from a heart attack.

William Kime
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Coffeyville
County: Montgomery
Death Date: 4/22/1898
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On April 20, 1898, James Wood and Lou Burdick had attacked a citizen with stones and revolvers. When they returned to Coffeyville, the police were notified and Officer Kime set out to arrest them. Kime recognized Wood and Burdick outside the Missouri Pacific depot dining hall and ordered them to surrender. While Kime held his gun on one of the suspects, the other drew
a pistol and shot the officer. Kime died two days later. The suspects were convicted of murder.

Carlos B. King
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Harvey County
County: Harvey
Death Date: 9/23/1871
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Sheriff Carlos King had disarmed one Thomas Edwards for disturbing the peace, and had run him out of town. Edwards rearmed himself and returned to town, shooting and killing Deputy King. Although Harvey County was not organized until February 29, 1872, it is likely that a deputy sheriff was in the county. Although specific sources have not been located, it is possible, based upon similar situations, that King was sent from Sedgwick County. Sedgwick County had the judicial and administrative responsibility for Harvey County prior to and at the time of its organization. It is more likely that King was a deputy sheriff rather than a city police officer.

Richard Kreuger
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Winfield
County: Cowley
Death Date: 9/3/1920
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
The Winfield Police Department received a call reporting that John Shoup had been following and annoying a woman. Officers Kreuger and George Nichols responded and confronted Shoup in his car. Shoup, who was drunk, began shooting, killing Kreuger instantly, and wounded Nichols. Shoup escaped but later wrecked his car and was taken into custody.

E. Ray Kumpf
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Hamilton County
County: Hamilton
Death Date: 7/3/1939
Added to Memorial: 2000
Circumstances of Death:
On the morning of July 3, 1939, Hamilton County Undersheriff E. R. “Ray” Kumpf received a telephone call from Holly, Colorado officials informing him that two men who had attempted to rob a grocery store in that town were on their way toward Syracuse. Anticipating that the men likely would appear at the railroad depot, Undersheriff Kumpf went to the Santa Fe railroad station to search for them. The undersheriff, acting on information provided by a Santa Fe employee, found the two men at the east end of the station seeking to board a train. After talking with the men for several minutes, Undersheriff Kumpf ordered them to walk ahead of him to the county jail. As they started to move forward, one of the suspects whirled around, pulled a gun, and shot Undersheriff Kumpf in the chest. The undersheriff swayed but remained on his feet and attempted to pull his own gun. The suspect fired a second time and struck Undersheriff Kumpf in the head. He died before an ambulance could arrive. Following a brief search, a group of Syracuse citizens apprehended one of the suspects and recovered a handgun. The suspect later confessed to the shooting and was sentenced to life in prison. Undersheriff Kumpf was sixty-four years old and an eighteen year veteran of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department. At the time of his death, he was survived by two children, Mrs. Maude Morris and Gus Kumpf, both of La Junta, Colorado.

Edward R. Kyser
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Parsons
County: Labette
Death Date: 12/4/1886
Added to Memorial: 1994
Circumstances of Death:
Isaac Irwin McCann stole a hat at the Centropolis Hotel in Parsons the night of December 2, 1886. The owner of the hat and of the hotel sent his "runner" Joe Davis in pursuit to retrieve it. Davis caught up with the thief at the Missouri Pacific Depot but he refused to give up the hat. Officer Kyser who was standing near by was called on to assist. He took the thief by the arm and told him he was under arrest. After a brief verbal exchange McCann jerked away, pulled a pistol and shot Kyser. Kyser died two days later. McCann was later captured, tried and hung.

Danny Laffey
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 1/5/1982
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Laffey was investigating a disturbance call at the Zanzibar club. He had stopped a suspect vehicle in the street and was in the process of removing the occupants when a passing vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed and having defective brakes, jumped the curb and struck Officer Laffey.

Peter R. Lanihan
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Ellis County
County: Ellis
Death Date: 7/18/1871
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
A former deputy of Wild Bill Hickok, “Rattlesnake Pete” Lanihan (or Lanahan) defeated Hickok in the sheriff’s election of 1869.Evidently, Lanihan’s election upset some criminal elements and it is conjectured that they plotted to “set up” the new sheriff. On the night of July 16, 1871, a fight started in Henry “Dog” Kelley’s saloon, and when Lanihan attempted to stop the disturbance,he was shot twice. He died of the wounds within two days.

Seldon B. Lard
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Riley County
County: Riley
Death Date: 10/20/1897
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Sheriff Lard, accompanied by a deputy and the county attorney, was attempting to serve a warrant for disturbing the peace and violation of the prohibitory law on Ike Warren and his wife in Leonardville. The officers took possession of Warren's café. Later, as Sheriff Lard approached Warren on the street, words were exchanged and Warren shot and killed the sheriff. The offender was pursued and captured by citizens of Leonardville.

Andrew H. Leonard
Type of Officer: Captain
Jurisdiction: U.S. Penitentiary, Leavenworth
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 11/14/1922
Added to Memorial: 2006
Circumstances of Death:
Captain Andrew H. Leonard was fatally stabbed while attempting to subdue a noncompliant inmate. The inmate, Joe Martinez, seriously injured several other correctional officer before being subdued by two inmates in a coal bunker.

Charles Q. Lukens
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Wyandotte County
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 12/8/1909
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Sheriff Lukens and Rosedale Night Marshal Drew attempted to serve divorce papers on one Charles T. Galloway on the afternoon of December 8, 1909. Galloway resisted and ran from the officers firing his .38 caliber revolver. In his efforts to stop Galloway Charles Lukens was shot and killed. Galloway was later killed in a gun duel with police in a house he had commandeered.

Roger Lutcher
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 1/8/1970
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Lutcher and his partner, Howard Berry, were on patrol when they observed another officer, Robert Mackey, pursuing a suspect. The officer chased the suspect into an alley and ordered him to surrender. He complied, but as Officers Lutcher and Berry approached him, he pulled a gun and opened fire, hitting and killing Lutcher. The suspect was shot and killed by the other officer. It was learned later that the killer was wanted by police for other crimes.

Rudy Markl
Type of Officer: Police Detective
Jurisdiction: Kansas city
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 12/25/1924
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
While investigating a robbery on December 20, 1924, Detective Markl and his partner observed the suspects' vehicle parked in front of a pharmacy. As they approached the vehicle, a man jumped from the car and ran. He was pursued by Markl's partner. Markl remained, and upon entering the pharmacy, was confronted by three more suspects who opened fire, hitting him four times. The detective managed to return their fire before collapsing.

Joseph E. Marshall
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 10/9/1927
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Marshall was in the sidecar of a motorcycle being driven by Officer Frank Busy when they recognized an automobile that had been involved in a robbery. They stopped the vehicle, and as Marshall approached, the men in the car opened fire. The killers, members of the well-known Porter Meeks gang, were shot and mortally wounded by Officer Bush.

Donald R. Martin
Type of Officer: Corrections Officer
Jurisdiction: Lansing
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 8/19/1978
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On August 14, 1978, Corrections Officer Martin had been assigned to the state penitentiary hospital unit. He was attacked and fatally beaten by an inmate who was holding a female hostage during an escape attempt. Martin resided in Leavenworth.

Edward J. Masterson
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Dodge City
County: Ford
Death Date: 4/9/1878
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
City Marshal Masterson (older brother of Bat Masterson) disarmed Jack Wagner, who was drunk and in violation of Dodge City's ordinance against carrying guns in town. Wagner gave Masterson his pistol, but as the marshal stepped into the street to leave, Wagner drew another pistol and shot Masterson. Masterson managed to shoot Wagner, who later died from his wounds.

Caswell S. Matthews
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Topeka
County: Shawnee
Death Date: 5/6/1912
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Matthews, alerted that two men who had robbed the city marshal of Bonner Springs might be on the 6:00 a.m. train on May 5, 1912, went to the Union Pacific depot. When two suspicious looking men appeared, Matthews attempted to question them and one opened fire. Matthews, mortally wounded, returned their fire, wounding one of the assailants. Police Chief Morris Jenkins single-handedly captured one of the suspects in a hand-to-hand fight. The other wounded suspect was arrested near the Kansas River at Topeka. Matthews died the day after he was shot.

Harry T. McCarty
Type of Officer: Deputy U.S. Marshal
Jurisdiction: Dodge City
County: Ford
Death Date: 7/13/1878
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy U.S. Marshal McCarty was drinking in the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City when on Thomas Roach, angered that he was the butt of cowboys' jokes, created a disturbance and began fighting with the cowboys. Roach became involved with McCarty, seized the marshal's gun and shot him.

E. L. McCracken
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Barber County
County: Barber
Death Date: 3/21/1908
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On March 19, 1908, Sheriff McCracken and City Marshal Bunton of Kiowa were attempting to serve a warrant on one James Clark for selling whiskey. As the two approached Clark's house, the suspect ran and hid in the outdoor privy. As the sheriff attempted to talk him into surrendering, Clark shot through the privy door and fatally wounded McCracken. The marshal wounded Clark as he attempted to escape.

Martin McDonald
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 9/21/1908
Added to Memorial: 1990
Circumstances of Death:
Martin McDonald was marshal of the North City Court of Kansas City, Kansas. He was shot through the heart on September 21, 1908 by Emil Lewis at a house in Armourdale. McDonald and humane officer Festus Foster had gone to the house to serve a warrant on Lewis that had been sworn by the mother of a 15 year old girl. Lewis was supposedly living with the girl. He was also wanted for some offense in Oklahoma. When McDonald announced to Lewis that he was under arrest, he grabbed a 38revolver from the dresser and pointed it the officers. Although Foster disarmed Lewis he was able to knock McDonald down and take his pistol. Lewis removed the cylinder and dumped out the bullets from McDonalds gun and grabbed his own out of Foster's hand. He then shot officer McDonald and himself. Lewis later died in the hospital, while officer McDonald died at the scene. McDonald was 65 years old at the time.

John McInroy
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Caney
County: Montgomery
Death Date: 11/12/1913
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On November 12, 1913, City Marshal McInroy was attempting to place into custody a thief, Nip Vann, when he was shot and killed by Vann. It was not until 1937 that Vann was captured.

John B McMurray
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: Manhattan
County: Riley
Death Date: 12/6/1964
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Highway Patrol Trooper McMurray had completed a radar setup and was loading the equipment into the trunk of his car. The vehicle of an intoxicated driver left the roadway, struck a patrol car that was parked behind McMurray's car, and pinned the trooper between the vehicles. McMurray died in the hospital.

Terry W. McNett
Type of Officer: Detective
Jurisdiction: Sedgwick County
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 2/2/1988
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
On February 2, 1988, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office narcotics detectives met with resistance while executing a search warrant on suspects in a Wichita residence. Upon hearing the officers, the main suspect ran into the kitchen and took a human shield. When Detective Terry McNett entered the kitchen to secure the room he was shot and died instantly. The suspect came out of the kitchen and fired at deputies. He was shot in both legs and after a short standoff was taken into custody. He was convicted and is now serving a 103-year sentence.

Michael Meagher
Type of Officer: Special Policeman
Jurisdiction: Caldwell
County: Sumner
Death Date: 12/17/1881
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Being threatened by a group of about five cowboys, former city marshal Meagher went to Caldwell City Marshal John Wilson for assistance or protection. Wilson asked Meagher to serve as a special policeman to assist in the arrest of one of the cowboys.As the two men approached the group, the cowboys dispersed. Later, with Meagher still acting as a special policeman, a Jim Talbot fired at Marshal Wilson. Wilson and Meagher circled the block, and on reappearing, Talbot shot and killed Meagher.

Thomas W. Mendina
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Wyandotte County
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 3/4/1956
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Mendina, on patrol, was called to assist another officer, William Scherzer, who was investigating two men who had stopped alongside highway K-32 west of Edwardsville. According to the deputy who was with Mendina, just as Mendina opened the car door to exit, he was fatally struck by a passing car. The driver of the vehicle was later convicted of driving under the influence.

Edward Metz
Type of Officer: Undersheriff
Jurisdiction: Reno County
County: Reno
Death Date: 1/7/1901
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Undersheriff Metz was on his way to board the Missouri Pacific train for Wellington as he was to appear there at the trial of ahorse thief he had apprehended. His body was later discovered lying on the tracks with his legs and one hand severed. Although his death may have been an accident, an investigation indicated signs of a struggle. The case was not investigated further

Andrew Miller
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Ellis
County: Ellis
Death Date: 11/15/1921
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Marshal Miller was fatally shot while trying to stop a public disturbance created by a group of "toughs" led by a notorious troublemaker named Greenwood. After the shooting, Greenwood prevented anyone from assisting the marshal, who died within a short time. Miller had previously been the city marshal of Hays, as well as the undersheriff and sheriff of Ellis County.

Eldon K. Miller
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: Overland Park
County: Johnson
Death Date: 1/19/1968
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Sergeant Miller, of the Kansas Highway Patrol, responded to a bank robbery call in Overland Park at the Metcalf Bank. Along with officers from several other agencies, Miller was assisting in the apprehension of the suspect, Henry Floyd Brown, when he was shot and killed. Sergeant Miller was the first trooper to die by gunshot.

Govan C Mills
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Hamilton County
County: Hamilton
Death Date: 9/13/1927
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On September 10, 1927, Sheriff Mills, with his wife along, observed a car parked in a suspicious manner along the roadside. He retrieved Deputy Ray Kumpf and they proceeded to investigate the vehicle. When Kumpf entered the suspect car to take it to the police station, two men exited from the car and held Sheriff Mills at gunpoint. The deputy was confronted by a third man.When one of the men covering the sheriff withdrew to disable the sheriff's car, Mills attacked the remaining suspect. The man holding a gun on the deputy turned and shot Sheriff Mills and the deputy. The suspects were captured after a long chase and gun battle near Pueblo, Colorado. Sheriff Mills died three days after he was wounded.

Reason S. Monroe
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Hutchinson
County: Reno
Death Date: 7/2/1924
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On July 1, 1924, following reports of a family disturbance, Officer Monroe arrived at the Maynor Cheek home to find that Cheek had pistol whipped his wife, taken their child, and gone to a store. When Monroe approached Cheek, who still had his son with him, Cheek fired. Because of the child, Monroe did not return fire. Monroe died the next day. Police Officers, the National Guard,
guards from the reformatory and citizens engaged in manhunt for Cheek. He was captured two hours later after the incident. He received a life sentence for murdering Monroe.

George C. Montgomery
Type of Officer: Santa Fe Railroad Special Officer
Jurisdiction: Santa Fe Railroad
County: Cowley
Death Date: 10/5/1901
Added to Memorial: 2007
Circumstances of Death:
On the night of October 5, 1901, Santa Fe Special Officer George C. Montgomery sat at a table in his Winfield home preparing his weekly reports for the Santa Fe Railway home office in Topeka. From directly outside his sitting room window an unknown assailant fired a shotgun blast killing him instantly. Numerous threats had been made by cowboys against Special Officer Montgomery's life because of his investigations. One such threat against his life had been inscribed on a brick at the Santa Fe depot in Winfield prior to his death. Several individuals were subsequently arrested and trials held however no one was ever convicted of Montgomery's death.

Allen Moore
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Lawrence
County: Douglas
Death Date: 5/22/1901
Added to Memorial: 1997
Circumstances of Death:
Lawrence Police Officer Allen Moore was in the Union Pacific Telegraph Office in the early morning of May 22nd. It was a practice in the Lawrence Police Department at this time to move ones pistol around in from when on duty at night, so that it could be more readily be available when needed. As he stooped to pick up his hat, which had fallen off as he was preparing to leave the depot, the revolver fell out and was discharged hitting him in the stomach. He died later in the morning.

Martin Moore
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Morton County
County: Morton
Death Date: 7/22/1916
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Sheriff Moore had been called to investigate a public disturbance call at a Rolla residence. After the sheriff arrived at the house, he was attacked and beaten by several individuals. Then, Don Van Wormer held a shotgun on Moore and ordered him off the property. The sheriff obtained a warrant for Van Wormer's arrest, returned and attempted to place the suspect in custody. However,four of Van Wormer's friends attacked Sheriff Moore, enabling Van Wormer to return to the house, acquire a shotgun and shot Sheriff Moore. The sheriff was killed instantly.

John T. Morgan
Type of Officer: Reserve Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Marion County
County: Marion
Death Date: 5/22/1979
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Reserve Deputy Sheriff Morgan answered a family disturbance call in the town of Goessel. His son was with him at the time. As Morgan exited his car, he was shot with a rifle and killed. As a result of the civil disturbance, the assailant also killed his ex-wife and wounded her boyfriend.

W. K. Morgan
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Sumner County
County: Sumner
Death Date: 9/22/1935
Added to Memorial: 1999
Circumstances of Death:
In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 22, 1935, Officer Morgan was making his rounds as night watchman in Belle Plaine A few days earlier, he had served papers on a local man whom he had known for some years and counted as a friend.The fact that Morgan had served the papers caused resentment which grew worse in the other man's mind after a Saturday night of heavy drinking. Around one in the morning the man attempted to get into a fight with Morgan but was talked out of it.Two hours later the man returned with a gun, took Morgan by surprise, and shot him. Officer Morgan died almost immediately. Forty-eight years of age, he was survived by his wife.

William Morris
Type of Officer: Police Sergeant
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 9/2/1902
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On his early morning patrol, Sergeant Morris routinely checked the Metropolitan Street Car barn. On September 2, he discovered two gunmen forcing the night watchman to open the safe. Morris struck one of the men, but as he attempted to draw his gun,the suspects opened fire, killing Morris and wounding the watchman.

John T. Moyer
Type of Officer: Chief of Police
Jurisdiction: Baxter Springs
County: Cherokee
Death Date: 5/24/1939
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Chief of Police Moyer was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend one Charles Kinzie, an escapee from an insane asylum. The owner of the hotel where Moyer found Kinzie was also wounded and later died from his injuries.

Maureen Gentry Murphy
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Bonner Springs
County: Johnson
Death Date: 1/31/1986
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
The second woman police officer killed in the line of duty in Kansas was Officer Murphy. At work in her patrol car filling out reports, she was killed by a sniper who shot through the window of the car with a high-powered rifle. The suspect apprehended for the murder hanged himself in his cell. Officer Murphy's husband was a Kansas City, Kansas, police detective.

George R Nettleingham
Type of Officer: Chief of Police, Fire Chief
Jurisdiction: Hoisington
County: Barton
Death Date: 11/29/1968
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
When a Hoisington cafe caught fire on Thanksgiving night, Chief of Police Nettleingham, who was also the fire chief, directed the fire fighting and general control efforts throughout the night. He succumbed to a heart attack immediately after the fire was extinguished.

Charles H. Newman
Type of Officer: City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Hugoton
County: Stevens
Death Date: 10/15/1931
Added to Memorial: 1988
Circumstances of Death:
Marshal Newman arrested one H. L. McBee for public drunkenness as he was on a general rampage around town. On the way to the jail McBee wrestled Newman's gun from him and shot him in the abdomen. He died three days later.

Thomas C. Nixon
Type of Officer: Assistant City Marshal
Jurisdiction: Dodge City
County: Ford
Death Date: 7/21/1884
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Well-known former buffalo hunter Nixon had a long running feud with another well-known character, "Mysterious" Dave Mather, who was a former assistant marshal. For unknown reasons, Nixon had shot at Mather three days prior to the fatal incident. While Nixon was on night patrol on July 21, 1884, Mather fatally shot Nixon. Although a personal feud certainly was involved,Nixon was assistant marshal and on patrol when Mather ambushed and killed him.

Elmer L. Nonnast
Type of Officer: Game Warden
Jurisdiction: Newton
County: Harvey
Death Date: 5/8/1974
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Warden Nonnast and another game warden were patrolling the Arkansas River investigating reported illegal snagging and hand fishing. They arrested one person, and as they were leaving, they observed another group of fishermen illegally hand fishing.One member of the group fled, and Nonnast pursued on foot. Upon returning to the remaining violators, he became engaged in a violent argument. When the officers left the scene, Nonnast suffered a heart attack and later died at a hospital.

Edward Nugent
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Kansas City
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 8/2/1943
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Officer Nugent was on his way home when a young woman stopped him to report that a man had tried to force her into an alley. Nugent located the suspect, searched him, and took him into custody. While en route to the jail, the suspect produced a revolver and shot Nugent. Nugent later died at the hospital.

Conroy G. O'Brien
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: Matfield Green
County: Chase
Death Date: 5/24/1978
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Trooper O'Brien of the Highway Patrol had stopped a car, occupied by three people, for speeding near Matfield Green. He was killed by two gunshots during the stop, and was later found by a truck driver. Later that same day, after a massive manhunt, law officers captured the three men, who were wanted for a string of armed robberies.

Vernon E. Ogden
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick County
Death Date: 7/5/1927
Added to Memorial: 2003
Circumstances of death:
Officer Ogden was pursuing a speeder on his motorcycle on Cleveland Ave., when he crashed into the side of a fast-moving Frisco passenger train. Officer Ogden died the following day from injuries received in the collision.

William H. Owens
Type of Officer: Corrections Officer
Jurisdiction: Lansing
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 10/5/1905
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On October 4, 1905, Officer Owens had taken prisoner W. B. Cunningham to do survey work outside the penitentiary. In an escape attempt, Cunningham assaulted the officer by delivering a severe blow to Owen's solar plexus. The inmate was quickly captured and was charged with felonious assault and murder. The blow to Owens resulted in internal bleeding and a heart attack. He died the day after the assault.

Elmer M. Parmer
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Leavenworth County
County: Leavenworth
Death Date: 8/28/1960
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
A speeding vehicle that Deputy Sheriff Parmer was chasing collided with a motorcycle and struck a power pole. As Parmer and a passing driver were attempting to clear an electrical wire from the roadway, Parmer was electrocuted.

Tony Patterson
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Topeka
County: Shawnee
Death Date: 10/12/1995
Added to Memorial: 1996
Circumstances of Death:
Shortly before 3:00 A.M. on the morning of October 12, 1995, officers from the Topeka Police Department approached the front door of an apartment in central Topeka. The exterior door was locked, and Officer Patterson swung a battering ram once,splitting the door in two. Inside the large unlit foyer, Officer Patterson struck the apartment door of the suspected drug dealer three times with the ram before a vertical panel flew into the apartment. The officer paused to adjust his grip, and as he continued to swing the battering ram a shot rang out from inside the apartment. Officer Patterson was struck by a bullet that passed through his upper left arm, then entered his chest. The suspect was shot by officers and apprehended at the scene. Officer Patterson died instantly from his wounds. He was wearing a protective vest at the time of the shooting.

Ed Payne
Type of Officer: Chief of Police
Jurisdiction: Garnett
County: Anderson
Death Date: 7/22/1947
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Garnett Chief of Police Payne stopped a speeder in Garnett. The suspect, Edward Smerchek, while seated in his car, shot and killed Payne. He fled but was located by the sheriff, the undersheriff and the fire chief. As the three drove into Smerchek's yard, shots were fired and the undersheriff and fire chief were wounded. Smerchek had just been released from the army on a medical discharge and was drunk at the time of the shootings.

Donald Pittenger
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Pottawatomie County
County: Pottawatomie
Death Date: 4/27/1986
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On April 24, 1986, Deputy Pittenger was dispatched to a residence northeast of St. George to investigate a domestic disturbance between two males and a female. Shots had been fired. With assistance of Wamego and St. George police officers, Pittenger separated the individuals and secured two weapons. While taking statements, Deputy Pittenger complained of feeling ill, went to his car, and collapsed. He died as a result of a stroke three days later.

Maurice R. Plummer
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: Hays
County: Ellis
Death Date: 12/16/1944
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Trooper Plummer, the first Kansas Highway Patrol officer to die in the line of duty, was fatally injured in an automobile accident near Hays.

Irvin Powell
Type of Officer: Jailer/Dispatcher
Jurisdiction: Haskell County
County: Haskell
Death Date: 3/19/1995
Added to Memorial: 1995
Circumstances of Death:
Powell, a jailer and dispatcher, was shot twice during a jailbreak on March 17th at the Haskell County Jail. The three escapees were on work detail when they stole a .22 caliber pistol by using a hand grinder to cut through a lock on a gun cabinet. They then used to gun to shoot Powell. They were later apprehended in Colorado. ( Sheriff Dennis Quimby stated that Powell did have the power of arrest and was a police reserve officer as well as a dispatcher).

Samuel C. Pratt
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Thomas County
County: Thomas
Death Date: 8/24/1925
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Two robbers on a two-state crime spree had killed a police officer in North Platte, Nebraska and were headed for the Kansas line. A posse led by Sheriff Pratt blockaded the road north of Colby. When the bandits stopped their car, the sheriff approached the side of the car and was shot and killed. The two men made their escape with a posse of cars, airplanes and ground searches in pursuit. One of the assailants was captured in New Mexico and the other was killed in Oklahoma.

Ferdinand F. Pribbenow
Type of Officer: Kansas Highway Patrol
Jurisdiction: El Dorado
County: Butler
Death Date: 7/11/1981
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Trooper Pribbenow was shot and fatally wounded during a routine traffic stop on the Kansas Turnpike north of El Dorado. Pribbenow had pulled over George Eric Rainey, of Wisconsin, for speeding. As Pribbenow approached Rainey's car, Rainey opened the door and began firing at Pribbenow. Rainey fled the scene and minutes later was cornered in Wichita by Wichita police. There, he shot at officers, who returned fire, wounding the suspect. Rainey was sentence to life in prison for the death of Trooper Pribbenow.

T. Wilson Pringle
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Lawrence
County: Douglas
Death Date: 10/16/1909
Added to Memorial: 1990
Circumstances of Death:
T. Wilson Pringle, Lawrence police officer, was shot Monday October 11, 1909 by Earl Bullock and died at Simmon's Hospital in Lawrence, October 16, 1909. Bullock reportedly despondent after his fiancee broke off their engagement broke into Albert Nollers' 2nd hand shop in Lawrence and stole two guns which he later used to rob the State Bank of Eudora of approximately$1,000. Although Deputy Sheriff Woods had gone to Eudora to arrest Bullock, prior to the bank robbery, Bullock got the jump on him and locked both Woods and Cashier Wilson in the vault. Bullock returned to Lawrence and officer Pringle, acting on a tip,went to a house at 1201 Haskell where Bullock was living to arrest him for the 2nd hand shop robbery. He knew nothing of the bank robbery. Pringle knocked on the door and was instantly shot in the neck. He was taken to the hospital but died five day slater. Bullock joined with an accomplice and robbed the Eudora bank again on November 12, 1909. When cornered by a posse one was captured and Bullock shot himself. He died the next day.

James O. Pugh
Type of Officer: Police Lieutenant
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 8/16/1930
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Lieutenant Pugh was on motorcycle patrol and was killed in a traffic accident.

Alexander Ramsey
Type of Officer: Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Ellis County
County: Ellis
Death Date: 6/7/1875
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Ellis County Sheriff Ramsey, noted for his effectiveness as an officer, was traveling to Stockton in Rooks County, with Deputy Sheriff Frank Shepherd, to recover stolen property. As they traveled they noticed a fresh horse trail. Aware that one of the West's most wanted men and horse thieves, Henry "Dutch Henry" Born(e) was operating in the area, they decided to follow the
trail. Entering Stockton, they observed two men selling horses. As the sheriff and deputy approached, one of the men, named Deems, fired. Ramsey was mortally wounded by was able to shoot and kill Deems. The other man, William Stanley, escaped but had been wounded by the deputy sheriff. Stanley was later captured near Kirwin. It was discovered that the horses had been stolen from Indians, and therefore "technically" the two were not guilty of any crime. Stanley was later tried for assaulting a police officer and found not guilty.

Will C. Reed
Type of Officer: Railroad Special Agent
Jurisdiction: Wichita
County: Sedgwick
Death Date: 7/4/1920
Added to Memorial: 2002
Circumstances of Death:
At 3:00 a.m. on July 4, 1920, Rock Island Railroad Special Agent Will C. Reed and his partner B. B. Collins received word that three men had broken into a freight car at Elbing, Kansas, stolen some cigarettes, and illegally boarded a freight train bound for Wichita. Agents Reed and Collins met the train when it arrived at the Wichita yards but did not immediately find the suspects. Agents Reed and Collins patrolled the railroad tracks in search of the men and soon saw the suspects emerge from a hiding place in the weeds. As the agents approached the men, one of the suspects pulled out a revolver and shot Agent Reed, killing him instantly. Agent Collins, unharmed, returned fire as the suspects fled across a field. The three men were found and arrested a few hours later. Special Agent Reed was forty-two years old at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife and two children.

James L. Reynolds
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Wyandotte County
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 8/4/1984
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Sheriff Reynolds, a member of the motorcycle division, was assisting in the pursuit of a fleeing traffic offender. He lost control of his cycle and in the accident he received massive internal injuries. Normally a full-time booking officer, Reynolds had voluntarily worked with officers on the motorcycle unit.

William H. Rich
Type of Officer: Police Office
Jurisdiction: Pratt
County: Pratt
Death Date: 6/21/1929
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Around 1:00 a.m., as Officer Rich was painting a "No U Turn" sign on a street, he was struck by a car and killed. In the darkness, the driver of the car had been unable to see Rich.

Forrest E. Richards
Type of Officer: Undersheriff
Jurisdiction: Butler County
County: Butler
Death Date: 9/23/1962
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Undersheriff Richards had returned to duty directing the Augusta office of the sheriff's department after recuperating from a heart attack suffered on April 18. On September 23, he stopped a driver for drunk driving. After placing the suspect under arrest, Richards left the man in order to move the driver's car from the road. As he did, the suspect fled. Richards fired a shot over the fleeing man's head, radioed for assistance, and began a foot chase. He ran about one hundred feet, collapsed and died from a heart attack.

G. Milton Rickman
Type of Officer: Undersheriff
Jurisdiction: Coffey County
County: Coffey
Death Date: 5/6/1930
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
An armed and suspicious acting man was observed boarding a train without a ticket. Undersheriff Rickman ordered him off the train and to surrender the gun he was carrying. The suspect, Clarence Hays, fatally shot Rickman and wounded City Marshal George Griffith. Hays, wanted for escape from General Hospital in Kansas City, had robbed two cab drivers and had forced one to transport him to Burlington. Following Rickman's death, Hays was located and killed by a posse.

Cory A. Ricks
Type of Officer: Detention Officer
Jurisdiction: Seward County
County: Seward
Death Date: 1/13/2006
Added to Memorial: 2006
Circumstances of death:
Detention Officer Cory A. Ricks was transporting a young prisoner from the Finney County Detention Center in Garden City back to Liberal. Ricks failed to stop for a gravel truck that had stopped in the highway, waiting to make a left-hand turn off of US 83 and slammed into the back of the truck. The accident resulted in his death and the death of his passenger Arielle Martinez-Eikenberry, aged 14.

James E. Roberts
Type of Officer: Deputy
Jurisdiction: Dunlap
County: Morris County
Death Date: 5/12/1900
Added to Memorial: 2003
Circumstances of death:
On the evening of May 12, 1900, James Edward Roberts and and another deputized Dunlap, Kansas citizen stationed themselves on the railroad bridge north of town in an attempt to capture two prisoners who had escaped from the Marysville prison. As Mr. Roberts peered over the edge of the bridge, one of the escaped prisoners, wielding a shotgun from ground level underneath the bridge, shot and killed Mr. Roberts. The fugitives fled the scene of the shooting but were captured two days later near Hartford. Mr. Roberts left a wife and several children.

Frank Rohrbach
Type of Officer: Deputy Sheriff
Jurisdiction: Wyandotte County
County: Wyandotte
Death Date: 8/6/1931
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Deputy Rohrbach received a citizen call at home to investigate two men who were observed with guns in their car. The deputy,
in uniform, investigated and removed three guns from the car and one from a suspect. As he continued the search, the other suspect drew a weapon and fatally shot Rohrbach. It was nearly five years before the two suspects were apprehended.

Deanna Hummel Rose
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Overland Park
County: Johnson
Death Date: 1/26/1985
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
On January 24, 1985, Officer Hummel-Rose had stopped a vehicle and was attempting to arrest the driver on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. She was fatally injured when the suspect driver knocked her to the ground and then intentionally struck her with the vehicle. She died two days later from the injuries. Hummel-Rose was the first woman officer to be killed in the line of duty in Kansas, and the only city officer to be killed in Overland Park. Prior to working for the Overland Park Police Department, she had graduated from Wichita State University in Criminal Justice,and had been a member of the San Diego, California County Sheriff's office.

Marion Ross
Type of Officer: Police Officer
Jurisdiction: Manhattan
County: Riley
Death Date: 3/10/1918
Added to Memorial: 1987
Circumstances of Death:
Ross, on patrol in Aggieville, the campus town near Kansas State University in Manhattan, approached a drunk in the city park.When the officer tried to awaken him, the drunk's wife told Ross to stop. Milton Moorehead, a foreman of the laundry at Camp Funston, was with the drunk and his wife and came to their assistance. Moorehead fought with Ross, beating him severely.Ross was dead on arrival at the hospital.