United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Sunday, February 13, 1983
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 5206
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 13, 1983
Weapon Used: Rifle; Mini 14
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Deputy Marshal Robert Cheshire and Marshal Kenneth Muir were shot and killed at 5:45 p.m. while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a man for parole violation and income tax evasion.
The suspect was traveling in a vehicle with his son and another man when they were stopped at a roadblock on Stutsman County Road 68 about a 1/2 mile north of Medina. All three men were armed with mini-14 rifles. After a 20-minute standoff, a gun battle began between law enforcement, the suspect, and the two other men. During the shootout, Deputy Marshal Chesire and Marshal Muir were mortally wounded. The main suspect escaped but his accomplices were wounded, apprehended, and sentenced to life in prison.
Four months later the main suspect shot and killed Sheriff Harold Matthews, of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, Arkansas. Sheriff Matthews was participating in a raid in an attempt to arrest the man and was able to shoot and kill the suspect before succumbing to his own mortal wounds.
Deputy Cheshire was a U.S. Navy veteran and was active in the North Dakota National Guard. He is survived by his wife and three young children.