Posse Member James Hooker

James Hooker

Posse Member James Hooker was shot and killed as he rode with a posse attempting to arrest a gang of outlaws.

Eight of the outlaws had been arrested and were being held in Kiowa as the rest of the posse attempted to locate the two ringleaders, who were wanted in Arapahoe County. When the posse located the men Posse Member Hooker and another posse member were able to get behind them and ordered them to drop their weapons.

A shootout ensued in which Posse Member Hooker was shot in the back as he attempted to seek cover.

The two outlaws escaped but were captured in Colorado Springs on April 17th, 1874, and taken to the Arapahoe County Jail. They escaped from the jail on July 28th, 1875. On August 8th, 1875, one of them was shot and killed by another posse and the second was wounded. The wounded man turned himself in two days later.

Posse Member Hooker was survived by his son, who served as a sheriff's deputy with the Elbert County Sheriff's Office.