Gene Jackson, Special Patrolman

Drumright Police Department

Jackson, a black man, was hired in mid-November, 1916, to police the black area of Drumright. A few weeks later the morning of Wednesday, November 29, Officer Jackson arrested a man named Bus Deckard for selling whiskey. Deckard had been arrested earlier that same morning for vagrancy by another officer and had posted bail. After posting bail the second time Deckard armed himself with a 30-30 Winchester rifle. About noon  that same day Deckard and Officer Jackson met again. It was theorized that Jackson may have fired the first shot as he was shot once below one eye and killed instantly. Jackson’s gun had been fired three times and the 30-30 rifle had only been fired once.


 George W. Jackson , Assistant Chief

Oklahoma City Police Department

About 6 A.M. the morning of Sunday, January 16, 1898, Chief Jackson responded to a disturbance by two men at a brothel in the 400 block of West Second Street (now Robert S. Kerr Ave.). As Chief Jackson entered the house he met one of the men, Bishop Armstrong, an Oklahoma County Deputy Sheriff, and began fighting with him. The other man, Fred Jones, the night bartender at the Compton Saloon and brother of slain Chief of Police John Milton Jones, then pulled Chief Jackson off his friend, Armstrong, at gunpoint. When Chief Jackson tried to disarm Jones, Jones shot him once, shattering his right hip. Jones took off running and Chief Jackson fired at him several times. One of the bullets hit Armstrong. Armstrong recovered but Chief Jackson’s condition deteriorated until he died on April 12, 1898, a month before his 50th birthday.

Henry Harrison Jackson, Federal Prohibition Agent

The morning of Friday, April 15, 1932, Agent Jackson and two other Prohibition Agents were searching for a whiskey still in the Frogville community southeast of Hugo in Choctaw County when they came upon Robert Smith and attempted to disarm him. During the struggle Agent Jackson was wounded in the abdomen by Smith who then escaped. That afternoon Agent Jackson, 42, was transported to the Paris Sanitarium in Paris, Texas where he died two days later at 2 P.M. Sunday, April 17th. Jackson was survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.

Robert S. Jackson, Officer

Tulsa Police Department

About 8:30 P.M. on Monday, October 31, 1927, Officer Jackson was summoned to the Ellis residence at 523 North Greenwood in reference to the husband, Percy, being drunk and threatening to shoot his wife. As Officer Jackson started up the front steps to the residence, Percy Ellis shot him four times. The officer returned fire, hitting Ellis in both arms, the left lung and liver before he collapsed. Officer Jackson died on the way to the hospital. Ellis died from his wounds several days later. Jackson was the first black Tulsa police officer to die in the line of duty.

Darrell Elven "Jack" James, Lake Ranger

City of Duncan

Shortly before 9 P.M. on Monday, June 3, 1985, Ranger James, 34, radioed Marlow Police dispatchers that he was stopping a brown and white van with “Security” printed on the side. James was investigating a report of shots fired southeast of Clear Creek Lake, northwest of Duncan. Less than half an hour later, responding backup officers found James dead from gun shots to his head and chest. Ranger James’ service revolver was missing. The next day, Arthur Michael Parks, 35, the owner of Delta security Systems, was arrested in Lawton. Parks was tried twice, found guilty of murder both times and sentenced to life in prison both times. Ranger James was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

William Aaron "Bill" James, City Marshal

City of Texhoma

About 4 A.M. the morning of Sunday, May 20, 1962, City Marshal, 24, James and Deputy City Marshal Joe Dale Hartman had taken Kenneth James Hoover, 24, home after finding him drunk near the downtown area of Texhoma. Hoover did not stay home and walked back downtown where the officers took him into custody again after a brief fight. The officers took him to City Hall where Hoover hit Marshal James in the head and escaped. Hoover went home and got a 12-gauge shotgun and returned to City Hall because he felt the officers had been harassing him. Hoover saw Marshal James through a window and opened fire on him, killing him. Hoover reloaded and went inside where he saw the unarmed Deputy Hartman go into a room and close the door behind him. Deputy Hartman leaned against the door to keep Hoover out. Hoover then fired through the door, fatally wounding Hartman. The shotgun was found at the scene by responding officers and Hoover was located hiding in a ditch a few blocks away. Marshal James was survived by his wife and two children.

Guy Milton Jarvis, Undersheriff

Blaine County Sheriff's Office

On the morning of Thursday, June 25, 1931, Undersheriff Jarvis, 38, and Deputy Sheriff George Gender went to arrest Charles Fillmore Davis, 41, for stealing gasoline. As the officers approached Davis’ two room shack seven miles northeast of Watonga , he fired through the door twice. Davis then yelled at the officers that if they put down their guns he come out and surrender to them. The officers laid their guns down. Davis came out with a 12-gauge shotgun and shot Undersheriff Jarvis in the chest killing him instantly and slightly wounding Deputy Gender. Deputy Gender retreated out of the area. Davis picked up the officers’ guns and left in the deputies’ car. Undersheriff Jarvis was survived by his wife and daughter. Davis was arrested on July 17 near Drumright with the officers’ guns. Davis was convicted of Jarvis’ murder and died in the Oklahoma electric chair on August 9, 1932.

Leslie Jennings, Traffic Officer

Muskogee Police Department

On Monday, July 14, 1924, Officer Jennings had been on the police force two weeks and was riding with S. Pike, Chief of the traffic force. The officers had stopped a motorist at the intersection of Fifth and Broadway, in front of the Muskogee Drug Company. While Officer Jennings, 32, was standing next to the stopped car issuing a citation, a car driven by Robert Venus, 19, sideswiped the police car and struck Officer Jennings. Jennings was knocked 20 feet and landed on his head. Officer Jennings died of his injuries the next morning, July 15th. He was survived by his wife. Robert Venus was charged with manslaughter.

A. W. Johnson, Deputy U.S. Marshal

U.S. Marshals

On Wednesday, October 21, 1896, Deputies Johnson and Ryan were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Jess Stedham in the Chickasaw Nation. Upon approaching the Stedham house Deputy Johnson went to the front and deputy Ryan went to the rear. Ryan heard a shot and went to the front, finding Deputy Johnson dead. Stedham was charged with the murder.

Thearel Major Johnson, City Marshal

City of Wister

The evening of Friday, June 30, 1950, Marshal Johnson saw two men he was looking for to question about the robbery of a taxi cab driver two days earlier. As Marshal Johnson, 41, approached the two men, one of them,Troy Sterling, 22, drew a gun and opened fire on the Marshal. Although he was hit three times, in the head and chest, Johnson returned fire. Marshal Johnson died a short time later in a Poteau hospital. Sterling’s dead body was found a short distance from the shooting scene. The other man, 17 year old, Odis Ollar, surrendered to the Sheriff the next morning. His wife and five children survived Marshal Johnson.

Tom Johnson, Deputy Sheriff

Pawnee County Sheriff's Office

On Tuesday, March 19, 1901, Deputy Johnson was part of a posse that had tracked two men who robbed a store and killed the manager in Red Rock the day before, to the home of Isom Cunningham three miles north of Pawnee. Some of the possemen were talking to Cunningham at the front door. Deputy Johnson was approaching them when someone in the house fired through a crack in the door and shot him. The suspects, Bert Welty and Ben Cravens escaped. Deputy Johnson died two days later on March 21st.

Ben H. Johnston, Detective

Tulsa Police Department

Detective Johnston and his partner Detective S. R. Carmack were questioning a couple of suspicious men by a car near the Sophian Plaza in the 1500 block of South Frisco Avenue on the evening of Thursday, September 12, 1946. Carmack was talking with James Oswell Neely, 17, on the passenger’s side of the car while Johnston was talking with Victor Lloyd Everhart, 23, on the driver’s side. At almost the same time both men drew guns and fired at the officers. Johnston was hit in the upper right chest and Carmack was shot through the heart. Carmack was able to shoot Neely in the leg before he died at the scene. Detective Johnston, 57, died on Friday January 3, 1947 from a heart ailment aggravated by his wound. Everhart was charged with Johnson’s murder but escaped from the Tulsa County Jail on February 2. He was later killed in a shootout with OHP Troopers south of Chouteau.

Alvis Jones, Deputy Sheriff

Pontotoc County Sheriff's Office

On Friday, January 29, 1937, Deputies Jones and Charley Shockley along with Deputy U. S. Marshal Allen Stanfield stopped a car on Highway 12 east of Ada. The officers were searching for the suspect in an armed robbery that occurred in McAlester in which a policeman was wounded. As Deputy Marshal Stanfield was searching the car, the driver, Jack Scott, 17, opened fire on the officers with a .22 automatic pistol, shooting through his pocket. Deputy Marshal Stanfield was wounded and Deputy Sheriff Jones, 38, was hit in the left side, the bullet fatally puncturing his aorta. The suspect, Scott, then drove off with officers firing at him. He was arrested the next morning near his bullet-riddled car one mile south of Stringtown. Scott had been wounded in the left hand and the tip of his nose had been shot off by the officer’s bullets the day before. Scott was a runaway from St. Louis and said he just “wanted some excitement”. Deputy Sheriff Jones had been a Deputy four years and was survived by his wife.

Benjamin Franklin Jones, Sheriff

Tobucksy (Toboxy) County, Choctaw Nation, I.T

On Wednesday, September 20, 1876, Sheriff Jones was standing in John J. McAlester’s store in McAlester Station (later McAlester) named after the store’s owner, when a blast of buckshot was fired through a window, hitting him fatally in the side. Robert Ream, immediately surrendered to another officer, admitted the shooting and claimed self-defense because Jones intended to kill him on sight. The local paper reported there had been difficulty between the two men for some time and blamed the killing on the interaction between illegal liquor and Indians.

Berry Jones, Sheriff

Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office

Saturday evening, February 14, 1920, about 6 p.m. Sheriff Jones, and Jailor Frank Cole were called upon to arrest three young men who were creating a disturbance in Okemah. One of the men was arrested after a struggle in the south part of town and brought to jail by Deputy Cole. Sheriff Jones and Deputy Roland Green then pursued the other two men, who were escaping on horse back, in Deputy Green’s Ford car. A couple miles south of town Sheriff Jones told Green to “Stop”. As Green brought the Ford to a stop Sheriff Jones fell over on him dead from an apparent heart attack.

Harrison Jones, Constable

Smeltertown, Jackson Township

On the evening of Wednesday, February 15, 1911, Constable Jones had gone to the home of Dal Conrad where a large disturbance had spilled over from a fight at a dance at a boarding house two doors down. Constable Jones deputized two men to help him. The officers arrested Pete Baber for throwing rocks and took him into the Conrad’s house. When the officers came out of the house to make more arrest, they were fired upon from the large crowd. All three officers returned fire. Constable Jones fell with a wound in the groin and bowels with 14 pellets from a shotgun. One of the men in the crowd, Paul Polliver AKA Cajavish, had been wounded by the officer’s return fire. The County Sheriff and some Deputies arrived and quickly restored order. Constable Jones identified Polliver as the man who had shot him before he died two days later on Friday, February 17th shortly after 4 P.M. Polliver was arrested and charged with the murder.

James Payton "Pate" Jones, Security Officer

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Shortly after 2 P.M. on Sunday, February 17, 1935, thirty-two prisoners at the State Reformatory at Granite were able to arm themselves, take a group of women and children touring the prison hostage and attempted to escape. As the prisoners and their hostages approached the front gate tower where Officer Jones, 65, was on duty, one of the prisoners, Bennett Pat Casey, 22, a five-time convicted burglar, fatally shot Jones with a shotgun. Jones’s wife was standing on the front porch of the officer’s barracks a short distance away and saw her husband shot down.

John B. Jones, Constable/Deputy U.S. Marshal

City of Pawhuska/Osage Nation I.T./U.S. Marshals

Friday, July 3, 1903, was the first day of a two day Independence Day celebration by the Osage Tribe on the grounds of the home of tribal Governor Bigheart on Bird Creek about 12 miles southeast of Pawhuska. The governor asked Constable Jones to be present during the festivities to maintain order. All seemed to go well until about 11 P.M. when Jones came upon two men drunk on wine. When the Constable tried to take the wine away from the men, one of them, Ed Lile, ran away up some stairs threatening to get a gun and shoot the Constable. Constable Jones was standing at the bottom of the stairs in a lit area. Lile came back out of a room at the top of the stairs with a rifle, which the Constable could not see due to the darkness at the top of the stairs. As Constable Jones tried to talk Lile in to coming down, Lile shot him, killing him almost instantly. Lile went back into the room and escaped out a window. The next day Ed Lile turned himself in at Pawhuska and was charged with the Constable’s murder. Constable Jones reported to be “about 50 years old” was married to a blind woman, 17 years younger than himself, named Grace Stutsman. When Mrs. Jones died in 1916 she was buried next to her husband in Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City.

John Milton Jones, Chief

Oklahoma City Police Department

On Sunday, June 30, 1895, three armed men escaped from the Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City. The men were the Christian brothers, Bob and Bill, being held for the murder of Pottawatomie County Deputy Sheriff Will Turner and Jim Casey being held for the murder of Canadian County Deputy sheriff Sam Farris. Chief Jones, 30, and Officer G. W. Jackson confronted the escapees at Grand and Broadway. A gunfight broke out during which Chief Jones and Jim Casey were killed. The Christian brothers escaped

William Franklin "Bill" Jones, Constable/Deputy Sheriff

City of Frederick/Tillman County Sheriff's Dept

On Sunday, July 15, 1934, Constable Jones, 52, was attending a picnic at Manitou Twin Lakes Park when two men got into a knife fight. As the two men, Virgil Jones, 28, and Claude Meadows, 32, crashed into a concession stand, Tillman County Deputy Sheriff Roy Reddin stepped in to break up what he thought was a fist fight. Constable Jones came over to assist him. As the constable stepped up behind Meadows, Meadows swung his fist around and struck Jones on the left side of his throat above the collarbone. Meadows then said “Don’t hit me, Bill, I didn’t know it was you”. Constable Jones began leading Meadows, who continued to apologize, through the crowd but collapsed after a short distance. It was discovered that he had been stabbed, his jugular vein had been severed and he died in moments. Claude Meadows was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. His wife and two daughters survived Constable Jones.