Police Officer Marion Marchant
Columbus Police Department
Georgia
End of Watch: Monday, April 17, 1911

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

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, April 12, 1911
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Committed suicide

Officer Marchant was shot and killed from ambush by a suspect he had encountered earlier in the evening. During the previous encounter Officer Marchant informed the man, who was extremely drunk, to go home or he would be arrested. The man left the scene and Officer Marchant continued to walk his beat.

When the suspect left the scene he went to his home and obtained a pistol. He returned to the corner of 6th Avenue and 7th Street and laid in wait for Officer Marchant to walk back into the area. When the officer walked passed him the man stepped out and shot Officer Marchant in the upper body six times. Officer Marchant was taken to City Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds 5 days later.

The suspect was arrested, convicted of murdering Officer Marchant, and sentenced to death. On April 12, 1912, the day before he was to have been executed, he committed suicide by taking poison. No one knew how he got the poison.