Belmont County Sheriff's Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Friday, August 6, 1926
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: August 6, 1926
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Acquitted
Sheriff Sam Dunfee was shot and killed at a garage in Provident during a gun battle with bootleggers.
A gun battle resulted when Sheriff Dunfee and his deputies surprised several men loading liquor into an automobile. Sheriff Dunfee was killed and one of the suspects was shot three times. Eight men were arrested at the scene but only one was charged with his murder.
On September 16th, 1926, the suspect was acquitted when gun experts declared that the bullet that killed Sheriff Dunfee came from a deputy's revolver.
Sheriff Dunfee was survived by his wife and five children. His wife was appointed to succeed him as sheriff.