Walter Thomason Hembree, Auxiliary Officer

Henryetta Police Department

Shortly before midnight on Thursday, July 25, 1974, Henryetta Chief of Police Richard Larney and Auxiliary Officer Hembree, 60, responded to a call reference a man hiding around a residence in the nearby town of Schulter. As the two officers approached the residence, Darrell Andrews, 20, stepped out from a corner of the house and fired at the officers with a shotgun. Officer Hembree was wounded in the head and died. Chief Larney was wounded in the side, arm and leg. Okmulgee County Deputy Sheriff Burton Brewer, 57, and Morris Police Officer Buck Grace then arrived at the residence also. Andrews was now hiding in tall grass behind these two officers and as he rose up Deputy Brewer turned around and was shot in the face with the shotgun and killed. Officer Grace then shot and wounded Andrews and took him into custody. Less than an hour earlier Andrews had also killed the City Marshal of Dewar, Thomas Adkins. Chief Larney survived his wounds.