James Nakedhead, Deputy U S Marshal – Officer
U. S. Marshals – U. S. Indian Police
Near day
break the morning of Wednesday, February 27, 1895, Nakedhead was a member of a
group of deputies and Texas Rangers that surrounded a house near Brush Hill,
about ten miles southwest of present day Checotah, in hopes of arresting the
Hughes gang, suspected of a Texas train robbery. The gang’s dogs alerted them
of the officers’ approach and they began firing on the posse. During the gun
battle that followed Deputy Nakedhead was shot in the head and killed. Nakedhead
was buried in Tahlequah and was survived by his wife and several children.
Gang members Ben Hughes and Judd South were
arrested and tried for the murder of Nakedhead. Both men were acquitted when it
was brought out that the officers did not have an arrest warrant for any members
of the gang when they went to the house.
Eight years later Ben and his brother, Jim,
were tried for the brutal murder of another deputy, Lute Houston, and again were
acquitted.
Guy David Nalley, Trooper
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Guy David Nalley, a former Seminole Police officer, had been a state trooper about two years when he stopped a truck and trailer on State Highway 6 about twenty miles west of Elk City Saturday evening, October 27, 1984, about 8:30 P.M. When he radioed to check the tag registration he was advised that the trailer tag was stolen. When backup officers arrived soon afterwards they found Nalley dead from two .25 caliber gunshot wounds to the back of the head. Guy Nalley, 29, was survived by his wife Jean Ann, and four children including a new born son.
William Best was arrested fifteen miles from the scene within two hours. Best was sent to Eastern State Hospital at Vinita for mental evaluation. Two months later while at the hospital Best took several hostages at gun point and was killed by another Trooper.
Samuel Henry Neal, Officer
Muskogee Police Department
About 2:20 A.M. on Sunday December 26, 1915, Officer Neal interrupted a business burglary on East Okmulgee Avenue and was shot to death. Officer Neal was survived by his wife, son and daughter. Willie Williams was later convicted of the murder and died in the Oklahoma electric chair on April 13, 1917.
Peter Gus Nebhut, Deputy Sheriff
Pontotoc County Sheriffs Office
About 9:30 A.M. on Thursday, March 10, 1921, several officers from Ada and Pontotoc County surrounded the Byrd Hotel in Ada in an attempt to arrest B. F. Marshall for possession of illegal moonshine whiskey. Marshall, seeing the officers, ran to the back door of the hotel where he was met by Deputy Gus Nebhut. The two men struggled and Marshall shot the deputy with a .25 Colt automatic pistol. Nebhut fired three shots at Marshall as he fled and Marshall returned shots at the deputy. Nebhut, having been shot twice, then collapsed. Marshall was arrested soon after that with four bullet wounds. Deputy Gus Nebhut died the next morning, March 11, 1921, about 10 A.M. and was survived by his wife and four children. Marshall was convicted of killing Deputy Nebhut and was sentenced to life in prison.
Charles Ellington Nichols, Officer
Coweta Police Department
About 3:30 P.M. on Wednesday, May 3, 1995, Officer Charles E. Nichols, 44, was en route to back another officer on a report of a man entering Coweta Elementary School armed with a knife. Nichols, south bound on Highway 51, entered the middle turn lane to pass another vehicle. That vehicle entered the same lane forcing Nichols into the oncoming northbound lane where he collided with another car, killing him. Nichols was survived by his wife.
Charles M. Nichols, Deputy Sheriff
Marshall County Sheriffs Office
The morning of Friday, February 4, 1921, Deputy Nichols, 45, along with Sheriff John Glenn and Deputy Bill Dickerson were searching a home near Kinlock where a whiskey still had been discovered. Deputy Nichols was in the house alone when a gun shot was heard. The other officers started into the house when they were met by Deputy Nichols at the door coming out. Deputy Nichols stated “I accidentally dropped my gun and have killed myself” before he pitched forward and died. Deputy Nichols was survived by his wife and four children. The supposition is that Deputy Nichols bent to look under a bed when his gun dropped from its holster and discharged striking him in the breast.
Eric Nicholson, Deputy
Sheriff
Seminole County Sheriffs Office
Shortly after 5 P.M. on Wednesday, January 10, 1945, Deputy Nicholson, 35, arrested Harlin Broyles, a Missouri State Prison escapee, at Fourth and Broadway in Seminole for attempting to pass a forged check. Broyles resisted arrest, pulled a .32 caliber gun from under his coat and shot the unarmed deputy twice. One of the shots struck the deputy’s heart, killing him almost instantly. Broyles then escaped. Deputy Eric Nicholson was survived by his wife, Esther, and four year old son, Phillip.
On February 2nd Broyles was arrested in Waco, Texas after shooting another officer there. Broyles was convicted of Nicholson’s murder and died in Oklahoma’s electric chair on January 30, 1947.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Trooper Nicolle had been with the Highway Patrol about eight years and assigned to their Air Division just over two years on his 39th birthday, July 26, 1990. About 2 P.M. that Thursday afternoon he was flying to Adair County to assist local officers in spotting marijuana fields from the air. Near Tahlequah and the intersection of Highways 10 and 62, Nicolle’s OHP helicopter struck a power line and crashed, killing Nicolle. Trooper Joseph Earl Nicolle was survived by his wife Vicki, two sons and two daughters.
Joe Nix, Deputy U. S. Marshal
U. S. Marshals
On the evening of Friday, August 3, 1894, Deputy Nix rode out of Vian, a small town ten miles west of Sallisaw, on his large gray horse. He had told friends he was going out to arrest James Gertie, who had taunted the deputy earlier in the day saying he had whiskey and for the Nix to come get it. About midnight Nix’s gray horse returned to Vian, without Nix. The next morning Nix was found dead with numerous shotgun pellet wounds in his body. James Gertie was arrested for the murder of the deputy that same day.
On August 6th, a black man named William Ford walked into the U. S. Marshal’s office in Ft. Smith and said he had killed a white man riding a gray horse a few miles from Vian. Ford had been visiting relatives and they were setting on their porch when the man rode toward their house with a gun in his hand. The man got off his horse and ordered everyone to raise their hands. Fearing for his safety Ford grabbed his shotgun and ran into a corn field with the man in pursuit. When Ford saw the man raise his gun Ford turned and fired hitting the man. The man turned and started to walk back to his horse then fell to the ground. Ford went to him and found he was dead. An investigation made the marshals think Deputy Nix had mistaken Ford for an escaped convict named Andy Hunter, as they resembled each other. James Gertie was released. Ford was later also released after a federal grand jury found that Ford had fired in self defense as Nix had never identified himself as a deputy.
James Clifford Norman, Deputy Sheriff
Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Norman had served as an officer on the Antlers Police Department about eight months before becoming a Deputy Sheriff a month before his death. The City Council of Antlers met Monday night, November 2, 1970, and voted to hire Deputy Norman, 39, as their new Chief of Police, to take office on Wednesday. About midnight that Monday night Antlers police officers, who had been drinking coffee with their new Chief just an hour before, found Deputy Norman dead slumped over the steering wheel of his car from two 30-06 rifle wounds fired from ambush outside the car. The next day Gerald Anthony “Tony” Hall, 26, was arrested for Norman’s murder. It appeared to be a revenge shooting as Hall’s tavern had been closed by the Sheriff’s office and he had been arrested by Norman Saturday night for drunk driving. Hall was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Hall will be up for parole in 2008.
Deputy Norman was survived by his wife, Temple, two young daughters and a son.
August Godfrey Nowka,
Officer
Tuttle Police Department
The night of Sunday, August 20, 1939, Tuttle City Marshal L. C. Force asked Officer Nowka to assist him in arresting three men at the Thompson Cafe who were suspected of committing several robberies in Minco, Enid and Chickasha. The officers found the men, Lee Bowen, 20, Hugh Douglas, 21, and Dorris Schabnitt, 21, at the café and advised them they were under arrest. As the officers began searching the men, Bowen drew a concealed gun and shot both officers. Marshal Force was wounded in the leg while Officer Nowka was shot in the head, neck and lung. Officer Nowka died within a few minutes before a doctor could arrive at the café. Bowen and Douglas, who was wounded by Marshal Force, escaped but Schabnitt surrendered to the wounded marshal. Bowen and Douglas were arrested the next day after being wounded in a chase and shootout near the Kansas line with OHP Troopers. Bowen pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison. Schafnitt pleaded guilty to robbery also and received a seven year term in prison. Hugh Douglas pleaded guilty to armed robbery with firearm and sentenced to seven years in prison. He later escaped and was killed in a shootout with Oklahoma City Police officers in February 1942.
Officer
Nowka was survived by his wife and five children.