Lakeland Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Sunday, March 27, 1932
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 27, 1932
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: One acquitted; One sentenced to life
Patrolman William Barnett and Patrolman Thomas Nicholson were shot and killed after they responded to a domestic disturbance in North Lakeland. The two officers were struggling with two men when they shot and killed both officers. Other officers arrived at the scene and took both men into custody. It was later determined that both suspects used the same gun and each killed one officer.
Both suspects, 21 and 66, were convicted of Patrolman Nicholson's and Patrolman Barnett's murder and sentenced to death. Both appealed and were granted new trials. The older suspect was again convicted of murder but sentenced to life. He applied for a pardon on February 7, 1936.
At the other suspect's second trial a witness said he saw him with pistol but never actually saw him shoot Patrolman Barnett. Several other witnesses said he told them that he did kill Patrolman Barnett. He was acquitted. The jury said there was not enough evidence for a conviction. On June 13, 1934, he was arrested for carrying concealed weapons and was in a very intoxicated condition. Because of recent problems, the state sanity commission declared him insane and he was sent to the Tallahassee State Mental Hospital. He escaped from the Chattahoochee State Mental Hospital along with another inmate on July 12, 1942. Days later both robbed and beat a man to death in Levi County. Both were apprehended along with his wife and another couple in Orlando. He admitted to the murder along with four other unsolved murders he was charged with in Miami. He was declared sane and executed in the electric chair on November 22, 1943.