Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office, Virginia
End of Watch: Saturday, March 31, 1956
Age: 59
Tour of Duty: 33 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 8, 1952
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 12 gauge
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Thomas succumbed to a shotgun blast sustained three and a half years earlier while attempting to arrest a man wanted for killing his employer who supposedly owed him $18. Deputy Thomas was shot in the chest and abdomen area. He was taken to Memorial Hospital where he underwent several surgeries to have the pellets removed. Doctors were able to remove most of the pellets, but were unable to remove some from his abdomen. He was released from the hospital two weeks later and returned home.
The suspect, 53, was convicted of murdering his employer on September 30, 1953, and sentenced to life.
Deputy Thomas never fully recovered and was forced to retire from the sheriff's office. In March 1956, one of the pellets caused an infection and internal bleeding that led to his death.
Deputy Thomas had been in law enforcement for 33 years and is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and three sisters.