Russellville Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch: Saturday, October 15, 1932
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: October 15, 1932
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Policeman Blucher Soyars and Special Agent Frank Mather, of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, were accidentally shot and killed during a case of mistaken identity.
Agent Mather and several other agents had gone to Russellville to arrest liquor violators at the county fair and had not informed local authorities they were there. The agents had taken several prisoners and were holding them in a cabin when several local officers, including Policeman Soyars, went to the cabin to investigate the activity.
When the two groups of officers encountered each other there was a misunderstanding and Agent Mather attempted to move towards the door. As he did so someone opened fire and both Policeman Soyars and Agent Mather were shot and killed.