Malvern Police Department, Arkansas
End of Watch: Thursday, April 27, 1933
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 21, 1933
Weapon Used: Rifle; .22 caliber
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Patrolman Leslie Potts was shot and killed after responding to the scene where Chief of Police Clyde Davis had just been fatally shot by a subject at a home on Main Street.
Patrolman Potts was off duty and preparing for his son's 10th birthday party when he was notified of the shooting. He knew the suspect and responded to the scene. When he arrived, he encountered the subject holding a .22 caliber rifle. He was able to talk the man into lowering the weapon, but a child on the ground floor ran out of the home, causing a screen door to slam shut.
The noise startled the offender, who raised the rifle and shot Patrolman Potts in the stomach, killing him.
Patrolman Potts was a United States Army WWI veteran. He was survived by his wife, son, and four daughters.