Adairville Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch: Thursday, April 29, 1948
Age: 65
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 29, 1948
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Committed to mental hopital
Chief of Police Rufus Barrow was shot and killed with his own service weapon when he responded to a disturbance call involving a mentally ill man refusing to be taken back to a mental hospital.
The 24-year-old subject was able to gain control of Chief Barrows' revolver and fatally shot him.
The suspect was charged with murder, adjudged insane, and returned to the mental hospital. In 1964 he had a sanity hearing and was still adjudged to be insane. He died in Glasgow State Mental Hospital on February 8, 1986.
Chief Barrow had served with the Adairville Police Department for eight years and previously served with the Franklin Police Department and Simpson County Sheriff's Office. He was survived by his wife and child.
He is buried at Greenlawn and Shady Rest Cemetery in Franklin, Simpson County, Kentucky.