Joseph Lewis Latimer, Deputy Sheriff
Cotton County Sheriff's Office
At approximately 11:20 P.M. on Wednesday, October 18, 1995, Deputy Latimer responded to a call from the Temple Police Office for assistance in a drive-by shooting. After Deputy Latimer requested directions, radio contact was lost with him. A short time later his wrecked patrol unit was found. The deputy had been thrown 15 feet from the unit. He was airlifted to a hospital in Lawton but was pronounced dead on arrival shortly after midnight on October 19th. His wife, Stacy, and fourteen-month daughter, Jullian, survived Deputy Latimer.
John Doyle Lawrence, Deputy Sheriff
Ottawa County Sheriff's Office
Shortly before midnight on Monday, May 20, 1957, Deputy Lawrence, 54, and his partner Deputy Sheriff William L. Lawson spotted a blue 1953 Packard that fit the description of a car used in the wounding of two Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers an hour before in northwest Miami. The deputies followed the Packard to one mile west of North Miami where the Packard rolled to a stop apparently “drowned out” by the heavy rains that had occurred. The driver got out of the Packard as the two deputies were approaching and opened fire on them. The first shot struck Deputy Lawrence in the neck and he fell to the ground. Deputy Lawson returned fired and wounded the man who got back in his car and escaped. Deputy Lawson stayed with his wounded partner and broadcast the tag and car description to other units. The driver, Jack D. Sloan, 27, was found dead an hour later in his house where he apparently committed suicide. Deputy Lawrence died a few hours later about 3 A.M. on Tuesday, May 21, leaving behind his wife and son.
Terry Glenn Lawson, Sergeant
Oklahoma City Police Department
On Tuesday, April 19, 1977, Sergeant Lawson was assisting in training police recruits in felony stops in the 3900 block of Northwest Third Street, about half a mile from the Police Academy. The recruits were using blank ammunition to increase the realism of the training. Lawson was portraying an armed felon and drew a weapon on the recruit. The recruit fired at Lawson at point blank range, wounding him in the liver. Sergeant Lawson died from his wound two days later on April 21.
David H. Layman, Deputy U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshals
On Tuesday, April 10, 1883, Deputy Layman, 34, and his posseman with three prisoners in custody made camp near the home of Lewis Teel in the Choctaw Nation near the Texas border. After making camp Deputy Layman, Teel, and three other men George Delaughter, Lishe Barker and Jim McCauley crossed over into Texas to attend McCauley’s wedding. Deputy Layman also took one of the prisoners, named Meroney with him leaving the other two with his posseman. On their way back from the wedding Meroney escaped. Once back at camp two of the men, Teel and Delaughter, got in a fight and Deputy Layman disarmed them. Teel then asked for help and another man named Gabriel Davis, after also being disarmed by Deputy Layman, went to a neighbor’s house, armed himself and started back to the camp with two men named Nelson Meroney and Gillan. On the way back the men encountered the posseman and forced him to release the other two prisoners. Meroney then approached Deputy Layman with his gun drawn but the deputy grabbed it and drew his own gun. Gillian then shot Deputy Layman twice and Davis shot him twice more after he had fallen. The men then escaped. Meroney was later arrested and convicted of manslaughter in the deputy’s death. No record has been found of the other two men ever being arrested.
Victor Robert Lee, Patrolman
Lawton Police Department
Patrolman Lee, 47, had only been an officer four days when on Saturday, May 31, 1947, he was notified that Joshua Browning, 62, had been brandishing a gun on Dearborn Street in “the Negro District”. Officer Lee located Browning setting in a booth in the Gay Paree Café at 101 Dearborn. When the officer asked Browning if he had a gun he replied that he wasn’t bothering anyone. Officer Lee drew his gun and pointed it at Browning. Browning drew a .380 automatic pistol and the two men exchanged gunfire. Browning was hit once in the left chest by a shot from Lee’s .44 revolver but a roll of nickels in his pocket saved his life. Officer Lee was struck four times in the abdomen and died about 10:30 A.M. the next morning, Sunday, June 1st. It is reported that the two black men rode in the same car to the hospital and walked in together. Officer Lee was the first black Lawton Police Officer to die in the line of duty and was survived by his wife and a daughter.
William Leech, Deputy U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshals
On Wednesday, April 9, 1884, Deputy U S Marshal Bass Reeves and his posse made camp near Cherokee Town in the Chickasaw Nation, east of Pauls Valley in currant Garvin County. The posse had five prisoners in custody en route back to Fort Smith. One member of the posse, Deputy Leech, who was also black, brought a stray dog into camp and it started eating out of the skillet on the campfire. Reeves told Leech not to let the dog eat out of the skillet and to run him off. Leech refused and began to stand up when Reeves shot him with his .44 Winchester rifle. Leech was struck in the left chest or neck. Every indication was that Reeves did not shoot Leech deliberately. Even though Reeves took Leech to the doctor the next day, Leech died later that day, April 10th. Deputy Reeves was arrested, charged and tried at Fort Smith for murder but the jury acquitted him. Reeves continued serving as a federal lawman until 1909.
Newton LeForce, Deputy U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshals
Early the foggy morning of Wednesday, December 12, 1894, Deputy LeForce and Deputy U. S. Marshal B. C. Birchfield with a posse of six other men went to a farmhouse near Broken Arrow in the Creek Nation 15 miles from Tulsa, in search of two train robbers, Buss Luckey and Tom Root. After checking the house and finding it empty, the two Deputies started to check a haystack 200 yards from the house. The Deputies were about 100 yards apart with the haystack between them when dogs started barking. The barking awakened Luckey, Root and Root’s wife who were sleeping in the haystack. The outlaws opened fire and a general melee ensued in the dense fog when all of the officers returned fire. The outlaws escaped during the shooting and Deputy LeForce was found shot through the back with the bullet exiting out his side. He may have been shot accidentally by one of his own possemen. Deputy LeForce died at 8:00 p.m. that night.
Ulysses Sterling Lenox, Officer
Drumright Police Department
On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 2, 1924, a group of Drumright officers got in a car and drove off in an attempt to intercept three men who had just robbed the State Bank of Avery, seven miles south of Cushing. About 2:15 P.M. a mile and a half out side of Drumright the officer’s and the robber’s cars passed each other. As they passed, the robbers opened fire on the officers, wounding Drumright Chief of Police Jack Avy and Officer Lenox, and escaped. Officer Lenox died 10 minutes after arriving at the hospital. He left behind a wife and two children. Irvin "Blackie" Thompson was later arrested and charged with Lenox's murder. Thompson plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
Donald Ray Leonard, Special Agent
U.S. Secret Service
Agent Leonard was serving his twenty-fifth year as a Secret Service agent when he was killed in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 19, 1995. Agent Leonard had served three and one half years as an Oklahoma City Police officer prior to joining the Secret Service. His wife Diane and three sons survived agent Leonard.
Webb H. Lester, Officer
Guthrie Police Department
About 4 A.M. on Tuesday, May 29, 1894, Officers Lester and Tipton were patrolling Guthrie’s railroad yard when they heard a noise in a boxcar. Officer Lester ordered the man to come out of the boxcar and, when there was no response, climbed into the car. As Officer Lester entered the boxcar, the man fired a shot, striking Lester an inch above the right eye. Officer Tipton engaged in a running gunfight with the suspect during which reportedly 28 gunshots were fired but the suspect escaped. A doctor was called to the scene but Officer Lester died from his wound. His wife and two children survived him. In September a man named Pearson was charged with Officer Lester’s murder.
Anderson Lewis, Sheriff
Gains (Pittsburg) County
On Monday night November 13, 1905, Sheriff Lewis was attending a Knights of Pythias oyster supper near Kiowa. A little before midnight two brothers, Henry and Robert Thompson, were drunk and became disorderly. When Sheriff Lewis attempted to arrest them Henry struck him in the face with his bridle reins. Sheriff Lewis drew his gun and at the same time Robert Thompson drew his gun and shot the 32 year old Choctaw Sheriff four times killing him. Henry was arrested but Robert escaped. Sheriff Lewis was serving his first term as Sheriff and was survived by a wife and two children.
John Edward "Ed" Liggett, Officer
Talihina Police Department
About 4 A.M. the morning of Saturday, August 13, 1966, Talihina Police received several calls on a car causing a disturbance in the Meadow Heights Addition. Officers “Ed” Liggett and Homer Pugh responded to the call. The officers observed a car in the street of the neighborhood with its engine running. As Officer Liggett drove up behind the car it took off at a high rate of speed. The officers pursued the car through Talihina reaching speeds up to 110 miles an hour. Four miles south of Talihina on U. S. Highway 271 Officer Liggett lost control of the police car causing it to strike a guard rail and roll over. Officer Liggett, 59, died at the scene within a few minutes of the crash. Officer Pugh, who was slightly injured, climbed out of the wrecked patrol car and walked to a near by farm house to summon an ambulance. Officer Liggett was survived by his wife Leona and a married daughter Geniave Uselton. Jimmy Noah, the 19 year old driver of the car being pursued, was later arrested.
J.R. Lindsay, Deputy Sheriff
Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office
On Sunday, November 14, 1926, Deputy Lindsay was trailing some robbers when he stopped in Meeker (Lincoln County) and began talking to Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff Dan M. Fuller. Deputy Fuller was demonstrating how he drew his gun when some men tried to rob him recently. The hammer of Fuller’s gun caught on his key chain causing the gun to fire. The bullet fatally wounded Deputy Lindsay. Deputy Fuller was charged with manslaughter.
Thomas J. Little, City Marshal
City of Dustin
On Saturday, August 20, 1927, Marshal Little, 53, had seized some illegal liquor and had hidden it until he could come back and transport it. When he went back to retrieve it for some unknown reason he took with him a young man named Homer Self, 23. Self was able to get the Marshal’s gun and shoot him in the chest with it, killing him. Some believe the liquor belonged to Self. Self was convicted of killing the Marshal.
Randy Joe Littlefield, Trooper
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Monday evening about 6:40 P.M., January 15, 1990, Trooper Littlefield was directing traffic around a disabled vehicle on Highway 20 three miles east of Jay in Delaware County when he was struck by a passing vehicle traveling approximately 50 miles an hour. Trooper Littlefield was pinned under a truck which was assisting the disabled vehicle for almost 30 minutes. Trooper Littlefield died shortly after arriving at the hospital in Grove. He was survived by his wife Brenda and two children, Jason,13, and Lorenda, 11. Ross England, the driver who struck Trooper Littlefield, was charged with first-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs.
Charles P. Lloyd, Officer
Sapulpa Police Department
On Saturday afternoon February 3, 1934, Officer Lloyd was part of a posse searching for the last of three armed robbers. Two of the robbers had been killed and the remaining one, Dupert Carolin, who had killed Sapulpa Chief of Police Tom Brumley was wounded and hiding in the hills northeast of Sapulpa. Officer Lloyd came up on Carolin in a ditch. The two men fired at each other at almost the same time. Officer Lloyd was struck once above the heart but was able to shoot Carolin before he collapsed and died. Other officers nearby were drawn by the shots and killed Carolin. Officer Lloyd was survived by his wife and two adopted children.
William B. Lockett, Night City Marshal
City of Ochelata
During the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 7, 1922, Marshal Lockett observed three men get out of a Ford roadster near Pritchard’s Garage which had been burglarized several times recently. Marshal Lockett followed the men and shortly witnesses heard a man yell “You’ve been following us long enough” then heard two shots. Marshal Lockett was able to fire two shots from his rifle at his assailants before he died from a .38 bullet wound near his heart. It was never proven but Dick Gregg is believed to have been the marshal’s killer.
James Robert "Bob" Logan, Deputy U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshals
About 11 A.M. on Tuesday, March 9, 1915, Deputy Logan was walking down Main Street in Wister when he was fatally shot by Noah Emory from across the street with a double-barreled shotgun. Emory had challenged Deputy Logan to cross the street and fight him but Logan had ignored the challenge and continued walking. Emory held a grudge because Logan had shot him during a previous arrest when Logan was a Le Flore County Deputy Sheriff.
George Loney, Deputy Sheriff
Okfuskee County Sheriff's Office
On Tuesday, May 2, 1911, Deputy Loney and three other officers were at the home of a black family named Nelson seven miles northeast of Paden investigating a cow being stolen. While the officers were talking to the father, the mother, Laura Nelson took a Winchester rifle down off the wall and gave it to their 15 year-old son, L. W. who then fired one shot. The bullet went through one posseman’s pants leg and struck Deputy Loney in the leg. A gun battle broke out with the father until he ran out of ammunition. The Nelson’s were arrested. Deputy Loney had bled to death from his leg wound. Soon after the arrests, the elder Nelson pled guilty to cattle rustling and was taken to the State Prison at McAlester which probably saved his life. Shortly after midnight on May 24, a mob of Okemah residents broke Laura and L.W. out of jail and lynched them from a bridge six miles west of town.
Crockett Long, Agent
Oklahoma State Bureau Of Investigation
Agent Long, 39, was a former Chief of Police of Madill. In that capacity he had arrested Wiley Lynn, the former Prohibition Agent who had killed Cromwell’s Marshal Bill Tilghman in 1924. Lynn was acquitted of Tilghman’s murder and still carried a grudge against Long. On Sunday afternoon, July 17, 1932, Lynn walked in to a corner drug store in Madill and saw Long setting at a table toward the back talking to friends. Lynn started walking toward the table with his gun drawn said “All right Crockett Long, throw them up, I’m going to get you sometime and it might as well be now.” Agent Long stood up and turned around to face Lynn while drawing his .44 revolver. Lynn fired striking Long in the leg, knocking him to the floor. Long emptied his gun striking Lynn four times as Lynn continued firing all six of his rounds with four hitting Long. Agent Long died a couple hours later at 5:45 P.M. in an Ardmore hospital leaving a wife and three sons. Wiley Lynn died at 5 A.M. the next morning.
James Alvin Long, Trooper
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
At 2:30 A.M. on Sunday, July 11, 1942, Trooper Long, 32, had just gotten off duty and was driving home north on N Broadway by Winan’s Park just south of NW 23rd Street in Oklahoma City when he heard a young woman screaming in the park to his left. He observed her being beat by a man. Long stopped his car and got out just as the young woman yelled “Look out! He has a gun!” The man fired four shots from a .32 automatic at Trooper Long hitting him twice in the chest. The man then ran southeast across Broadway past the downed officer and disappeared behind a fence on the south side of the Borden dairy plant. Witnesses called police and an ambulance. The young lady and Trooper Long were transported to Policlinic hospital where Trooper Long died at 4:30 A.M. becoming the first OHP Trooper to die in the line-of-duty by gun fire. He was survived by his wife. No one was ever prosecuted for Trooper Long’s murder.
Samuel Calvin Long, Sheriff
Love County Sheriffs Office
Shortly afternoon on Wednesday, January 25, 1928, Sheriff Long, 55, responded to a “trouble” call at the Love County National Bank in Marietta. The ”trouble” was a bank robbery in progress by two men. One man was in the vault while the other held everyone at bay. When the Sheriff walked into the bank the man holding everyone at bay got the drop on the sheriff and told him to join the others against the wall. The sheriff instead drew his gun and shot the man dead. At the same time the other robber was coming out of the vault and shot Sheriff Long three times before fleeing town with citizens shooting at him along the way. Initially Sheriff Long’s health improved but he developed pneumonia and died five days later on Monday, January 30th. He was survived by his second wife and nine of the ten children from his first marriage.
George Loper, Officer
Pauls Valley Police Department
Shortly after midnight on Monday, May 27, 1935, a car pulled up near Officer Loper as he made his rounds and the three men inside told him to throw up his hands. At first Loper, 40, thought it was a joke then he observed that the other night officer, George Longacre and his friend who was accompanying him on his rounds were also in the car and realized they had been kidnapped. Officer Loper started to draw his gun but was shot through the heart by one of the men in the car. The men released Longacre and his friend outside of town. With in a week the three suspects, Charles Sands, Ray “Pete” Traxler and Leon Siler, the man who shot Officer Loper, robbed a bank and killed Grady County Deputy Sheriff James E Wilson. Sands and Siler were put to death in the state’s electric chair on June 11, 1937.
George Luckett, Chief
Depew Police Department
About 5 A.M. on Tuesday, October 6, 1931, the body of Chief Luckett was found lying in an alley behind a business in Depew with a shotgun wound to his head. There was evidence of a struggle and Luckett’s gun, holster and flash light were missing. A near by resident reported hearing a single gun shot about 3 A.M. but did not investigate when nothing else was heard. No one was ever charged with his murder. Chief Luckett was survived by his wife and three sons.
Joseph P. Lundy, Deputy U.S. Marshal
U.S. Marshals
On Monday, June 10, 1889, Deputy Lundy was attempting to arrest Nocus Hodge on a warrant for horse theft. Deputy Lundy located Hodge in the company of Wills Leno and Puella Lindsay near Econtuchka (now in extreme northwestern Seminole County) in the Seminole Nation. As Deputy Lundy approached the three men, he was shot to death and the men escaped.
John O. Lung, Deputy Sheriff
Okmulgee County Sheriffs Office
On Friday night, September 15, 1922, Deputy Lung recognized Earl Pomeroy in a car with another man and woman as it entered the Continental Garage in Sapulpa. Pomeroy was a suspect in a business burglary Deputy Lung was investigating. As Deputy Lung and Sapulpa Chief of Police Ralph Morey entered the darkened garage they were fired upon by one of the men. Deputy Lung was struck in the left side, the bullet piercing his heart and right lung. Chief Morey was unharmed. Deputy Lung was placed in a car to be taken to the hospital but the car wrecked only two blocks away. Lung was transferred to another car but was dead on arrival at the hospital. Earl Pomeroy and the other man escaped and were never apprehended but the woman, Doris Stanley was arrested near the scene. His wife and five children survived Deputy Lung.
Cooper Lunsford, Constable
City of Braggs
During the early morning hours of Sunday, September 25, 1910, Constable Lunsford and Deputy John Colemen were keeping an eye on a dance at a home west of Beggs. Constable Lunsford was advised that Jake Gooden was carrying a gun. Constable Lunsford searched Gooden but found no gun. Gooden’s companion, Phillip Love, told Lunsford that he had a gun and would like to see Lunsford take it away from him. Lunsford ignored the challenge for the moment. A short time later, Deputy Colemen convinced Love to give him his gun. Not long afterwards, Constable Lunsford, not knowing Deputy Coleman had disarmed Love, got the drop on Love and searched him. Love, harboring a grudge over the search, left the dance and obtained a shotgun. Love then waited outside of the house and, as Lunsford came out, Love ambushed him, shooting him fatally in the neck and throat
Claude Lynch, Officer
Tulsa Police Department
On Sunday night, November 28, 1948, Officer Lynch, 48, a 15-year veteran of
the Tulsa Police Department and his partner Henry Johnson, were transporting
John Camp to jail on a complaint of discharging a firearm. Officer Johnson was
driving with Camp seated next to him. Officer Lynch was riding in the back seat
with the female complainant. After they had gone a short distance Camp attack
Officer Johnson who was able to stop the patrol car. Officer Lynch got out and
ran to the passenger side to restrain Camp. However Camp was able to get control
of Officer Johnson’s gun and fire several shots at Officer Lynch. One shot
struck him in the throat fatally severing Officer Lynch’s jugular vein.