Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable B.F. Reed was shot and killed from ambush while transporting a prisoner near Madison Station.
Two men had been arrested earlier in the day after one of them shot the other during a fight. It was determined that the man who fired the shot acted in self-defense, while the man who had been shot was bound over to appear at the Circuit Court. The prisoner was placed in the custody of Constable Reed at approximately 8:00 pm to be taken to the county jail in Canton.
Due to the distance to travel, Constable Reed took the man to his own home to stay for the night before proceeding to the jail in the morning. When they arrived at Constable Reed's farm he dismounted the buggy to open his gate. As he opened the gate, the father of the man who acted in self defense, hiding in bushes 10 yards away, opened fire, killing Constable Reed. Officials theorized, because it was so dark, the suspect intended to shoot the prisoner and shot Constable Reed by mistake. He was arrested and jailed for murder. A feud existed between the families of the man shot and the shooter.
Constable Reed was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Constable Reed was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Constable Reed served with the Madison County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Canton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable B. F. Reed is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. B. F. Reed's cause is highlighted.
How B. F. Reed Compares
Offender Outcome
Charged with murder
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. B. F. Reed is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. B. F. Reed was killed by shotgun.