Officer Down Memorial Page - http://www.odmp.org

Deputy Sheriff John W. Gaines | Howard County Sheriff's Office, Missouri
Howard County Sheriff's Office, Missouri

Deputy Sheriff

John W. Gaines

Howard County Sheriff's Office, Missouri

End of Watch: Tuesday, March 17, 1914

Biographical Info

Age: 66
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 17, 1914
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Lynched by an angry mob

Marshal Gaines was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man wanted for creating a disturbance.

The suspect was arrested and placed in the County Jail. An angry mob took the suspect from the county jail and lynched him in the courthouse yard about 2 hours after the shooting.

Marshal Gaines had been in law enforcement for 20 years and had also served as a deputy sheriff and constable for the Howard County Sheriff's Department. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and two daughters.