Scott County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
End of Watch Monday, March 7, 1927
Add to My HeroesJohn Wesley West
Deputy Sheriff John West died two days after being shot by another deputy.
On March 5, Deputy West and another deputy went to a public movie showing in a school auditorium in Robbins, Tennessee. Also in the audience that evening was the town physician, Dr. Wylie E. Foust. During the movie, it was noted that the other deputy was visibly drunk.
The other deputy became enraged when some children in the movie audience laughed too loudly. He jumped up from his seat in the middle of the audience and shouted threats of arresting the children. At that point, his fellow deputy, Deputy West, and the physician got up from their seats and tried to calm the deputy down, but this only infuriated him further. The deputy then pulled both of his pistols from their holsters, brandished them in the crowded auditorium, and opened fire, killing the physician and mortally wounding Deputy West.
The suspect was subsequently convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in the Tennessee electric chair on January 25, 1928.
Deputy West was survived by his wife and children.
Bio
- Age 53
- Tour Not available
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Incident Date Saturday, March 5, 1927
- Weapon Handgun
- Offender Executed in 1928
Most Recent Reflection
View all 13 ReflectionsThank you for your service. To the family, I have a large photo of your grandfather and I think his wife?
Please contact me and I will get it to you straight away.
Respectfully, Lena
Tacoma WA
Owner of Dome District Gallery
[email protected]
Art Gallery Owner
No relationship
January 3, 2025
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