Patrolman J. Coleman Dawson
Owensboro Police Department
Kentucky
End of Watch: Saturday, June 1, 1912

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Saturday, June 1, 1912
Incident Location: Indiana
Weapon Used: Handgun; Revolver
Suspect Info: Escaped

Patrolman Coleman Dawson was shot and killed and another officer was shot and wounded while attempting to arrest a suspected horse thief just across the state line near Rockport in Spencer County, Indiana.

The suspect had brought a horse, stolen in Indiana, to Owensboro and sold it, investing part of the proceeds in two revolvers. Upon his return to Indiana, the Spencer County sheriff called for assistance from officers in Owensboro. Shortly before 2100 hours, the sheriff heard several shots and soon thereafter found the body of Patrolman Dawson and his wounded partner on a country road nearby.

Despite initially eluding a posse organized by the sheriff, the suspect was captured two weeks later at a rooming house in St. Louis, Missouri and returned to Indiana. Authorities had learned of the suspect's location from a letter he sent which was intended for his girlfriend. The letter also revealed his real identity, an Indiana parolee with a lengthy criminal record. On November 5, 1912, he escaped along with three other male prisoners from the Vanderburgh County Jail in Evansville, Indiana.