Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Sunday, August 10, 1941
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 10, 1941
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Three shot and killed; One executed
Deputy Sheriff William Ford was shot and killed as he attempted to stop four escaped prisoners. Deputy Ford, his partner, and an ex-prison guard who was with them, were alerted that the escape was taking place at the Oklahoma State Prison and intercepted the four escapees leaving in a vehicle, holding Warden Jess Dunn hostage. A gun battle ensued and Deputy Ford was shot in the head and killed. Warden Dunn, and three of the suspects were also shot and killed.
The fourth suspect was serving a life sentence for the murder of Night Watchman Elijah C. Smith of the Byars Police Department on June 27, 1937. He was convicted of Warden Dunn's murder and executed in the electric chair on July 14, 1943.
One of the suspects who was killed was serving a life sentence for murdering Prison Guard Charles D. Powell at the same prison during a mass escape attempt on May 13, 1936.
Deputy Ford had been with the agency for 17 years and is survived by his wife and three children.