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Sheriff Joe H. Snow  

Sheriff

Joe H. Snow
Sheriff Snow was instantly killed by Oscar Beasley on the bay front of Stratton Ridge around five o'clock Wednesday evening on September 16, 1920.  Sheriff Snow had gone to a local fishing camp in order to recover, what he believed, to be several stolen horses.  Upon reaching the front of the building, Beasley fired a shotgun at the sheriff killing him instantly.  Upon hearing the news, numerous parties of armed citizens we dispatched in all directions looking for Beasley.  At approximately 5:30 a.m., Beasley was captured  at the depot in Danbury by two of Danbury's residents.  That night Beasley was forcibly removed from his cell by citizens of the county and lynched.  Beasley's body was left hanging in a tree in front of the county museum, which at the time was the county jail.

 

 

 

 

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Deputy Sheriff

James William Cook
Deputy Sheriff James William Cook was serving as a deputy under Sheriff F.S. Crew.  At Quintana Beach on August 26, 1925, Deputy Cook along with several other Deputies were running a raid on a known bootlegger residence.  There was a shootout with the suspect shooting  Deputy Sheriff James William Cook to death with a pistol.   Later the suspect was arrested by other Deputies of Brazoria County.  Deputy Cook was buried in the city of Brazoria, Texas.

 

 

 

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Deputy Sheriff

Joseph Arthur Harnest

Deputy Sheriff Joseph Arthur Harnest was fatally shot on Wednesday December 14, 1937.   Deputy Harnest was 35 years old living in the city of West Columbia at the time of his death.  Deputy Harnest was killed instantly, when he was mistaken for an escaped convict from the West Columbia area.  At approximately two o'clock in the morning, the suspect, Brook Votaw, was held at the Angleton Jail as the aftermath of a shooting hunt for the escape convict concluded.  Mr. Votaw, the son of a former Texas Ranger, was noted to be in a state of shock due to the incident.  

 

 

 

 

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Sheriff  

John W. McKenny

Sheriff McKenny was based in West Columbia.  While responding to a call in Sweeny on October 22, 1940, Sheriff McKenny was killed in a traffic accident on Highway 35.  Sheriff McKenny was a Deputy Sheriff at the time of his death.

 

 

 

 

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Police Officer

Henry O. Wendell Jr.

Officer Wendell Jr. of Pearland Police Department was working traffic on October 6, 1967, after a Pearland Football game and was hit by a car leaving the stadium.

 

 

 

 

 

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Deputy Sheriff

James C. Douglas

Deputy Sheriff James C. Douglas was shot to death in the city of Old Ocean on Tuesday May 15, 1973, by two suspects.  Deputy Douglas was thirty years old at the time of his death and had only been employed with the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department for one month and a   half. Deputy Douglas and his family had planned to move to Brazoria County the following week after his death, from Harris County.  Deputy Douglas was previous employed with the Harris County Sheriff's Department for three years, two of which were served working in the patrol division, before moving over to Brazoria County Sheriff's Department.  Deputy Douglas was survived by his wife, Frankie, and four children; ranging in age from ten years of age down to four.  

 

 

 

 

 

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D. P. S. Trooper

Tomie M. Tucker

Trooper Tucker was killed in a traffic accident during a car chase on F.M. 521 on May 29, 1976.  Trooper Tucker was Brazoria County's current Sheriff E.J. "Joe" King's partner when he worked with D.P.S.

 

 

 

 

 

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Deputy Sheriff

Patrick E. Roberts Jr.

 
Sergeant Roberts died from the AIDS virus which he contracted while at a crime scene. Sergeant Roberts' death is the first reported line-of-duty death caused by AIDS in the nation.

  

  

 

 

 

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Deputy Sheriff

Jason Alexander Oliff
Deputy Jason Oliff was struck and killed by a pickup truck while placing flares on FM 2004 in front of an industrial plant at 0520 hours. He was at the intersection to direct early morning traffic at the entrance to the facility during a shift change.

He was setting up flares in a safety lane between two travel lanes when he was struck. He was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital, in Houston, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Deputy Oliff had served with the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department for 4 years. He is survived by his fiancée, parents, and siblings.

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