Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Busby Smith, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Busby Smith

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi

End of Watch Monday, January 12, 1981

Charles Busby Smith

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Smith was shot and killed while attempting to serve a lunacy warrant.

Chief Deputy Smith and the sheriff were serving the warrant to a 48-year-old male at his home near Kilmichael, Mississippi, when he opened fire on them, killing the deputy and seriously wounding the sheriff. The suspect was apprehended about two miles from his house, shortly after the shooting. He was later convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death, but was later re-sentenced to life imprisonment.

Chief Deputy Smith had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for four years and had previously been a Vaiden, Mississippi, police officer.

Bio

Age 29
Tour 4 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Rifle; .22 caliber
Offender Sentenced to life imprisonment

Most Recent Reflection

View all 7 Reflections

I am a native of Montgomery County and remember Chief Deputy Smith. He once gave me an old uniform patch that was no longer in use. I was 10 years old when he was killed. The last memory I have of him was during the Winona Christmas Parade when he was helping with traffic control by blocking Webster Street at the intersection with Summit as the parade went by. That is when he gave me the patch - likely a few weeks before his death.

God bless him and his family. He will never be forgotten.

Spokesperson Chris Baker
Mississippi Department of Corrections

March 27, 2018