In Memoriam

City Marshal George Tabler 
Marshal Tabler was shot and killed in an act of revenge by a father and son for an incident in which the marshal had shot and killed another family member during an arrest attempt three months earlier. Marshal Tabler was survived by his wife.

Officer Boyd Gaunt
Patrolman Gaunt and Patrolman Bura Roberts were killed in an automobile accident while responding to a fire. Their patrol car struck a fire truck responding to the same call. A firefighter riding on the back of the fire truck was also killed in the accident.  Patrolman Gaunt had served with the agency for 1 year.

Officer Bura Clora Roberts
Patrolman Roberts and Patrolman Boyd Gaunt were killed in an automobile accident while responding to a fire. Their patrol car struck a fire truck responding to the same call. A firefighter riding on the back of the fire truck was also killed in the accident.  Patrolman Roberts had served with the agency for 4 years.

Sgt. W.A. Connell
Sergeant Connell suffered a fatal heart attack after being taken hostage by a suspect.  He and another detective had gone to a person's house while investigating a series of armed robberies. The person supposedly had information about the suspect.  When they knocked on the door, it was answered by the suspect, who was holding a handgun. The suspect took both officers hostage and bound their hands and feet with handcuffs and electrical tape. The suspect then fled the scene.  Sergeant Connell was able to crawl to a phone and call dispatchers to report their situation. He then collapsed on the floor as he suffered a major heart attack brought on by the stress of the situation.  Sergeant Connell had been with the department for 17 years and was survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Harvey Stevens
Patrolman Stevens was struck by a vehicle and killed while investigating an earlier accident. He had walked onto one of the travel lanes to measure skid marks. Another motorist failed to see him and struck him.  Patrolman Stevens had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Marshall Sowders, Jr.
Patrolman Sowders was shot and killed when he made a traffic stop of a suspect while en route to an armed robbery call. The call was the second such call in less than one hour. During his response he noticed a suspicious vehicle, turned his cruiser around, and stopped the vehicle. As Ofc. Sowders approached the vehicle the driver suddenly exited and opened fire with a .44 caliber handgun, striking him several times.  Ofc. Sowders had been with the agency for three months and had been in law enforcement with another agency. He was survived by his wife.

Sgt. Randy Loy Davis
Sergeant Davis was shot and killed as he and other narcotics officers served a warrant in a hotel room. Sergeant Davis had obtained a key from the hotel manager in order to gain quick access to the room in order to keep the suspect from destroying evidence. As he began to open the door a single shot was fired from within the room and struck him in the chest. The suspect was arrested after a brief standoff.  Sergeant Davis had been with the agency for seven years and had been with two other agencies as well. He was survived by his wife and two children.