United States Department of Labor - Immigration Service - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Friday, April 23, 1926
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 2 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 23, 1926
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Convicted
Patrol Inspector William McKee was shot and killed while pursuing suspected liquor smugglers near Alambre Ranch about 40 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona.
On the evening of April 23rd, 1926, inspectors surprised three mounted "rum runners" driving five pack horses loaded with alcohol. The bootleggers deserted the pack animals and fled. The officers unloaded the pack horses and loaded the alcohol into one of the two automobiles they had arrived in.
The officers had not traveled far when they encountered an ambush. After a brief battle, the smugglers fled again. Inspector Bill McKee was found shot and killed at the wheel of a patrol car. The suspect who shot him was apprehended and convicted of first-degree murder.
Inspector McKee, a U.S. Army veteran, had served with the United States Border Patrol for only two months. He was survived by his wife.