Bruce Felder Rainey
Agency patch
Chief of Police

Bruce Felder Rainey

Weatherford Police Department — Weatherford, OK
Felonious
End of Watch June 23, 1941
Age 32
The Vigil Panel 78 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief of Police Bruce Rainey was shot and thrown into a crevice where he died from his wounds. Chief Rainey was supervising the painting of lines on the streets of Weatherford on June 23rd, 1941. At 9:30 p.m. his car was found abandoned about a mile west of the city on Route 66. The keys were missing, however, a shotgun and police whistle were found inside. Chief Rainey was nowhere to be found. A massive search effort began. About noon on July 3rd, 1941, Chief Rainey’s body was found in a rock crevice three miles southwest of Weatherford. An autopsy report indicated blunt force trauma on the left side of his head causing a fractured skull, and three bullet wounds to the head which apparently occurred after he had been thrown in the rock crevice. His billfold was still on his body, but missing were his keys, gun, and watch. The shooter was caught during a routine police arrest on June 29th, 1941. A Chickasha man was charged with burglary and illegal possession of a pistol. A fingerprint expert happened to see the pistol and remarked it was the same make and model as the one that killed Chief Rainey. Tests proved the pistol was in fact the same weapon used to murder Chief Rainey. He was convicted of murder on October 1st, 1941, and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in the spring of 1973.

Survivors

Chief Rainey was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, brother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-8E2BF9E2
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Rainey served with the Weatherford Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Weatherford community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Rainey.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Weatherford, Custer County, OK
Platform Identity wpd.custer.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 23, 1941
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Chief of Police Bruce Felder Rainey 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 69.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Weatherford Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
OK — Statewide
403
of 582 officers
69.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Bruce Felder Rainey's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Bruce Felder Rainey Compares

Age at Death
32
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Bruce Felder Rainey is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Bruce Felder Rainey was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Weatherford Police Department are honored on badge.nw.