Atlanta Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch: Sunday, August 19, 1928
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 16, 1928
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman John McDaniel was shot when he responded to a disturbance between two acquaintances.
When Patrolman McDaniel attempted to arrest one of the men, he was shot. He was transported to the hospital, but died three days later of his wound.
The suspect was apprehended, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned his conviction and he was tried a second time, again convicted of murder, and again sentenced to death.
On August 21st, 1930, the subject, along with another condemned murderer, escaped from the Fulton County Jail. He was recaptured six years later in Enid, Oklahoma, and returned to Georgia. On October 14th, 1936, Governor Herman E. Talmadge commuted his sentence to life. On May 22nd, 1938, he escaped from a prison work camp in Chattooga County. He was recaptured two weeks later in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Just before he was to be returned to Georgia, Oklahoma officials discovered that he was responsible for the attempted murder of a man and his wife in Hennessay, Oklahoma, just before he was recaptured the first time. On August 9th, 1938, he was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and sentenced to two concurrent 10 year sentences in the Oklahoma Penitentiary.
Patrolman McDaniel had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 17 years. He was survived by his wife.