Miller County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 28, 1931
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 30 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 28, 1931
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Sheriff Walter Harris was shot and killed as he and his deputies were raiding a liquor still near Texarkana.
His killer surrendered to the Little River County sheriff five days later. On December 11th, 1931, the 19-year-old subject was convicted of Sheriff Harris' murder and sentenced to life. On April 27th, 1935, he escaped with another prisoner from Tucker Prison Farm in Jefferson County. Three weeks later, he was shot and wounded in the shoulder by officers in Idabel, Oklahoma, when they attempted to rob the Idabel National Bank. He died in the McCurtain County Jail from traumatic pneumonia caused by the bullet wound three days later.
Sheriff Harris had served with the Miller County Sheriff's Office for 30 years and as Sheriff for seven months. He was survived by his wife and three children.