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Incident
Marshal John Hays was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man for a domestic disturbance. The suspect shot Marshal Hays in the neck with a Springfield rifle. Although fatally wounded, the marshal was able to return fire and wounded the suspect. The suspect surrendered to citizens the same day and came close to being lynched. In June 1904 he was found guilty of Second Degree Murder and sentenced to life at hard labor in the Idaho State Penitentiary. He was paroled in 1909 and fully pardoned in 1910. Marshal Hays was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for capturing the enemy flag on April 16, 1865, in Columbus, Georgia.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
NW-3DXT-F470-Searlier record number BO-US-ID-34E33BCE- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 7, 2026
- Last updated
- September 27, 2026
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. John is one person.
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Agency
Service Record
Awards & Decorations
Citation — Medal of Honor - Army
Incident Details
Military Service
John H. Hays served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Marshal John H. Hays is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,764 officers honored here.
In ID, 44 of 71 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62% of this state's fallen. That is 62 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John H. Hays's cause is highlighted.
How John H. Hays Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John H. Hays is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John H. Hays was killed by rifle.
Military Service
John H. Hays served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit John H. Hays’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 61-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Also Remembered
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Troy Police Department are honored on badge.nw.