Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, August 28, 1883
Weapon Used: Handgun; .44 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 2 years

City Marshal William A. Clark observed B. F. Temple (also referred to as Nick Temple) carrying a pistol in violation of the city ordinance. Marshal Clark confronted Temple who had the pistol in his hand, and demanded that he surrender the weapon. Temple refused, cocked the pistol, and told Marshal Clark not to approach him. Temple crossed the street and the marshal followed. Then Temple fired at the marshal. The second shot struck the marshal in the bowels. Both men then emptied their .44 caliber pistols at each other. The marshal started walking down the street and told the gathering crowd that he had been killed. Temple went to his father’s house and got a shotgun and came after the marshal. Temple was arrested before he could shoot the marshal with the shotgun.

Clark died on Thursday, August 30, 1883. He gave a dying declaration and said goodbye to his wife and friends before dying.

William A. Clark was 39 years of age at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife and at least two children. He was buried in the Jacksonville City Cemetery, Cherokee County, Texas.

B. F. Temple was convicted of manslaughter in the death of City Marshal Clark and sentenced to four years in prison. He appealed and the case was reversed due to a technicality. The state never established the date and time of the homicide or the county. Temple was retried in June of 1885 and sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, July 22, 1913
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Never apprehended

Night Policeman Harry Floyd Hooker had been notified that a drunk man had been robbed by a stranger, who had started out of town by way of the Cotton Belt Railroad track. Officer Hooker boarded a freight train which was "doubling" the hill north of town, and sighted a man standing by the track for the train to pass. The train was stopped, Officer Hooker walked back to the man, and the trainmen heard him ask the stranger to let him see what he had in a bundle he was carrying. The man shot Officer Hooker once in the left breast and fled. When the trainmen reached Officer Hooker he was lying in the center of the track, and was dying. Hooker reportedly said, "He got me," before he died. Hooker's pistol was lying on the track by his body, showing that he had seen the stranger draw his gun and had attempted to shoot, but was too late.

A search by the sheriff and a posse could not locate the killer. No one was ever arrested or prosecuted for the crime. Oral family history reported that the suspect was shot and killed near Houston a year later, and confessed to the slaying of Hooker before dying.

Officer Hooker was made night watchman about six months earlier. He was survived by a wife, Betty Pearl Ward Hooker, and two sons, Floyd Dante and Hollis Hooker. Jacksonville citizens donated $250 to the widow. Hooker was buried in the Kemp Cemetery in Kaufman County.

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Friday, October 2, 1992  10:00PM
Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 Magnum Revolver
Suspect Info: Killed at scene

On Friday October 2, 1992 at approximately 10:00 P.M. Officer Randy Zimmerman and Officer Brixey Lewis were called to 711 Harrison St. in reference to a family disturbance. The officers were assisted by Reserve Deputy Shane Cannon. After officers separated the male and female at the location, Officer Zimmerman had Deputy Cannon escort the female into another room. As Deputy Cannon was doing this, Officers Zimmerman and Lewis asked the male to stand up so he could be placed under arrest. As the man stood up, he produced a pistol from his waistband and began shooting at the officers.

Officer Zimmerman was wounded in the neck and the back of the left arm but was able to return fire. Officer Lewis attempted to return fire but was struck in his gun hand causing his service weapon to malfunction. Deputy Cannon returned fire killing the suspect. Officer Randy Zimmerman left behind a wife, Peggy Zimmerman and two children J. D. and Nicole Zimmerman.

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 30, 1979
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Apprehended and sentenced to prison.

On June 30, 1979 Officer Roscoe Lee and other officers answered a call of a man with a gun. The call was at a pool hall located at Lincoln and Main St. Upon on their arrival, the officers observed a man pacing back and forth in front of the business with a shotgun.

Officers took cover and tried to get the man to lay the weapon down. Officer Lee had took cover behind a patrol unit. Both the windows were rolled down on all the police cars.  At one point Officer Lee raised up from behind the patrol unit to check where the suspect was. The suspect raised the weapon and fired one shot in the direction of Officer Lee's vehicle. The shot went through the open windows and struck Officer Lee in the face, fatally wounding him. Officer Lee was pronounced dead at the hospital as short time later. Officer Lee left behind a wife, Virgie Lee and four daughters, Mary Story, Cynthia Sanders, Veda Grandberry and Tina Barnett.