Officer Down Memorial Page - http://www.odmp.org

Deputy Sheriff D. Tom Smith | Cochise County Sheriff's Department, Arizona
Cochise County Sheriff's Department, Arizona

Deputy Sheriff

D. Tom Smith

Cochise County Sheriff's Department, Arizona

End of Watch: Saturday, December 8, 1883

Biographical Info

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

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 8, 1883
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Hanged

Deputy Smith was shot and killed when he intervened in a robbery at a mercantile store in Bisbee. Five suspects arrived at the store. Two of them entered and three of them stayed outside and began firing their weapons to keep people away from the store. Three civilians were shot and killed as a result. Deputy Smith, hearing the shots, approached the scene and told the suspects he was a peace officer, but he was also shot and killed. The five suspects escaped but were eventually apprehended and hanged for the murder.

A sixth man, who was determined to be an insider on the posse that was sent to arrest them, was also arrested but hanged by a mob before he could be tried.