Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 21, 1932
Age: 57
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: December 21, 1932
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Sheriff Luther Pannett was accidentally shot and killed while investigating a suspicious noise in the cell block.
He and his wife lived in the Sheriff's Quarters in the Frederick County Jail at 317 S Cameron Street. At approximately 4:45 am Sheriff Pannett heard a noise coming from the cell block area upstairs. After obtaining his .32 caliber service revolver and flashlight, the sheriff went upstairs to investigate.
Mrs. Pannett said she heard no further noise from the direction of the staircase until a few minutes later when she heard the sound of a gunshot.
Running to the head of the stairs, Mrs. Pannett called to her husband but only received a sort of a groan. She went to the top of the steps where she found Sheriff Pannett lying on the floor of the landing unconscious with a gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Winchester Memorial Hospital where he died later that day.
An investigation concluded that Sheriff Pannett slipped and fell on the steps of the jail and dropped his revolver, which discharged, sending a bullet into his brain. The death was ruled accidental.
Sheriff Pannett had served with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for over 20 years. He was survived by his wife.