Charles Busby Smith
Agency patch
Chief Deputy Sheriff

Charles Busby Smith

Felonious
End of Watch January 12, 1981
Age 29
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
The Vigil Panel 123 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Smith was shot and killed while attempting to serve a lunacy warrant. Chief Deputy Smith and the sheriff were serving the warrant to a 48-year-old male at his home near Kilmichael, Mississippi, when he opened fire on them, killing the deputy and seriously wounding the sheriff. The suspect was apprehended about two miles from his house, shortly after the shooting. He was later convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death but was later re-sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2006. Chief Deputy Smith had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for four years and had previously been a Vaiden, Mississippi, police officer.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-A519ECC3
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 Deputy Sheriff Smith gave the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Winona community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Sheriff Smith.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Winona, Montgomery County, MS
Platform Identity mcso.montgomery.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 12, 1981
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 29
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Busby Smith 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 MS, 243 of 350 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.4% of this state's fallen. That is 69.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
MS — Statewide
243
of 350 officers
69.4% 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. Charles Busby Smith's cause is highlighted.

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

How Charles Busby Smith Compares

Age at Death
29
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
4
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Busby Smith is highlighted in Jan.

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. Charles Busby Smith was killed by rifle.

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.