United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Saturday, December 24, 1904
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 24, 1904
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Escaped
Sheriff Russell was shot and killed by a prisoner he was transporting on a train. Sheriff W. M. Russell and Sheriff W. S. Russell were escorting two men that had been arrested for having over a thousand dollars of merchandise that had been stolen from a store in Sherman, Oklahoma. One of the prisoners somehow had a pistol secreted in his pocket and while handcuffed was able to draw and fire, hitting Sheriff W. M. Russell in the head, killing him almost instantly. Sheriff W. S. Russell fell in the fracas and hurt his hand. The two prisoners escaped by jumping from the moving train.