Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Thursday, January 29, 1959
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 122
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 29, 1959
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Executed in 1960
Trooper John Barter was shot and killed after stopping a parolee at a disturbance call near Altus, Oklahoma.
He asked the suspect about the gun the man had and was told it was for target practice. When Trooper Barter ordered the man to surrender the weapon, he was shot in the chest. The suspect was later arrested and subsequently executed in 1960.
Trooper Barter was a United States Marine Corps veteran and had been with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for six years. He was survived by his wife and three sons.