Chief of Police Dudley Emerson Whiteside

Dudley Emerson Whiteside

Chief Whiteside was shot and killed by a suspect armed with a .22 caliber pistol while attempting to settle a dispute with a resident over a city water main.

Chief Whiteside went to talk to a store owner after he refused to let city workers unhook his water line from a closed mill. As the chief was searching him after a brief conversation, he drew a .22 caliber target pistol from his overall bib and shot the him near the heart. Chief Whiteside died instantly without making any attempt to use his own gun, which was still holstered when his body was removed from the scene.

The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was paroled in the 1980s and died a few years later.

Chief Whiteside had been with the agency for three years. He was survived by his wife, three daughters, two sons, father, two brothers, and two sisters.