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City Marshal Thomas Johnson Nevitt | El Reno Police Department, Oklahoma
El Reno Police Department, Oklahoma

City Marshal

Thomas Johnson Nevitt

El Reno Police Department, Oklahoma

End of Watch: Saturday, September 20, 1890

Biographical Info

Age: 27
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 19, 1890
Weapon Used: Handgun; Revolver
Suspect Info: Arrested

City Marshal Thomas Nevitt was shot and killed while attempting to arrest an intoxicated subject on the streets of El Reno, in the Indian Territory.

As Marshal Nevitt confronted the cowboy, who had been trying to take the town on his horse after visiting a local saloon, the subject took offense to his intervention. As both men raised their revolvers at the same time at about 6:00 pm, Marshal Nevitt was struck in the abdomen and succumbed to his wound the following morning.

The 20-year-old suspect attempted to escape, but citizens who witnessed the murder fired a volley of shots, with one shot breaking the suspect's left arm before he was taken into custody and arrested.

Marshal Nevitt was survived by his wife, son, daughter, brother and parents. He was buried in the Poheta Cemetery in Saline County, Kansas.