Kingsburg Police Department, California
End of Watch: Thursday, November 2, 1916
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 2, 1916
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Never apprehended
Watchman French was shot and killed by a suspect he had arrested earlier in the night for being drunk in public and creating a disturbance in a pool hall.
After being taken to the jail the suspect apologized and asked to go home to go to sleep. The officers released the man, who went home, grabbed his double-barrel shotgun, and returned to the downtown district. The suspect located Watchman French and shot him twice in the back.
The suspect fled the scene after the murder. He was never apprehended.