Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Oregon
End of Watch: Tuesday, November 19, 1918
Age: 27
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 19, 1918
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Frank Twombley was shot and killed while attempting to stop a speeding motorist around 11 p.m. Deputy Twombley was riding his police motorcycle and had sped up to the driver's side door. The driver of the vehicle shot him off of the motorcycle.
The suspect turned out to be a robber who had just stolen $123 from the bridge tender on the Oregon end of the interstate bridge leading to Vancouver, Washington.
The 24-year-old suspect was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life. On November 7, 1934, he escaped from prison. On February 18, 1935, he was arrested in Salt Lake City, Utah, along with a Idaho prison escapee for the attempted robbery of the Denver and Rio Grande Mail Train. Later that year he was convicted of the robbery attempt and sentenced to 25 years in Alcatraz. In July of 1945 he was charged with attempted escape and received another five years in Alcatraz. He put on a army uniform, boarded a ferry, and made it all the way to the mainland before being discovered. He told everyone on the ferry he was doing special work for the army at Alcatraz. Prison officials said his was the best escape attempt ever from Alcatraz. He died in California in 1979.
Deputy Twombley was survived by his wife and child.