Deputy Sheriff John Middleton

John Middleton

Deputy Sheriff John Middleton and Deputy Sheriff George Miller were shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man in a cafe.

As the deputies entered the cafe, the suspect saw them and opened fire with a handgun, striking each deputy three times. Deputy Miller succumbed to his wounds at the scene, and Deputy Middleton succumbed to his wounds the following day.

The suspect immediately surrendered to local officials. On September 29, 1923, he claimed self-defense and was acquitted.

Deputy Middleton, a U.S. Army veteran, had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and three children.