Patrolman Joseph Earl Marshall

Joseph Earl Marshall

Patrolman Joseph Marshall was shot and killed near the intersection of Broadway Street and 11th Avenue when he and his partner stopped a vehicle whose occupants they recognized as members of the Ma Barker Gang.

As Patrolman Marshall approached, the driver pulled him into the vehicle and shot him three times, killing him. His partner was able to return fire and mortally wounded the driver. Despite the wound, the driver was able to drive a short distance away before crashing. The man then committed suicide.

One of the other subjects in the vehicle was shot and killed the following day. The third subject was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Patrolman Marshall had served with the Wichita Police Department for two years. He was survived by his wife and two children.

He is buried in Wichita Park Cemetery and Mausoleum, Wichita, Kansas.

The Barker-Karpis Gang committed violent crimes throughout the American Midwest in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Members and associates of the gang were responsible for the murders of at least ten law enforcement officers.