Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, Oklahoma
End of Watch: Friday, June 9, 1972
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 9, 1972
Weapon Used: Handgun; .25 caliber
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Deputy Sheriff Wesley Cole was shot and killed after he responded to a call of a man breaking into automobiles in the parking lot of an upscale hotel at the interchange of I-44 and Peoria Avenue.
Deputy Cole was working a secondary security job at the hotel when he was notified that somebody was rummaging through cars. When Deputy Cole asked for identification, the man pulled out a .25 caliber handgun and opened fire. Deputy Cole was able to return fire with his revolver. Both men emptied their weapons in the shootout, and both were fatally wounded.
Deputy Cole was a United States Army Air Forces WWII veteran and had served with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office for ten years. He was survived by his wife, son, and three daughters.