Weatherford Police Department, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Monday, June 23, 1941
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 23, 1941
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1971
Chief of Police Bruce Rainey was shot and thrown into a crevice where he died from his wounds.
Chief Rainey was supervising the painting of lines on the streets of Weatherford on June 23rd, 1941. At 9:30 p.m. his car was found abandoned about a mile west of the city on Route 66. The keys were missing, however, a shotgun and police whistle were found inside. Chief Rainey was nowhere to be found.
A massive search effort began. About noon on July 3rd, 1941, Chief Rainey’s body was found in a rock crevice three miles southwest of Weatherford. An autopsy report indicated blunt force trauma on the left side of his head causing a fractured skull, and three bullet wounds to the head which apparently occurred after he had been thrown in the rock crevice. His billfold was still on his body, but missing were his keys, gun, and watch.
The shooter was caught during a routine police arrest on June 29th, 1941. A Chickasha man was charged with burglary and illegal possession of a pistol. A fingerprint expert happened to see the pistol and remarked it was the same make and model as the one that killed Chief Rainey. Tests proved the pistol was in fact the same weapon used to murder Chief Rainey. He was convicted of murder on October 1st, 1941, and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in the spring of 1973.
Chief Rainey was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, brother, and sister.