Sergeant Thomas Dodsworth

Thomas Dodsworth

Sergeant Tom Dodsworth was shot and killed and the police chief was seriously wounded while attempting to arrest two bootlegging suspects at a notorious resort on Market Street near the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway tracks.

which resulted in one suspect being killed and the other being wounded.

Sergeant Dodsworth and the chief went to a bootlegger's home to arrest him. The chief entered the home and moments later Sergeant Dodsworth, who was standing guard outside, heard two gunshots. He entered to find the police chief in a desperate struggle with the suspect. He managed to pull the suspect off of the chief, but the man shot Sergeant Dodsworth three times. The police chief managed to retrieve his revolver, which he had lost during the struggle, and fatally shot the man. He then shot and wounded a second bootlegger who ran in and tried to attack him.

Sergeant Dodsworth died at the scene. The two shots he heard were fired by the deceased suspect and had badly mangled the chief's shoulder.

Sergeant Dodsworth was credited with saving his chief's life. The second suspect was convicted of complicity in the murder and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Sergeant Dodsworth had served with the Champaign Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife.