Charlie William Monroe Gaines

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office — Ripley, TN

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 24, 1942

Age 47

The Vigil Panel 78 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Charlie Gaines was shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on a man for stealing chickens.

He and another deputy located the man at his home near Henning. The subject opened fire on Deputy Gaines with a shotgun, striking him in the abdomen, before fleeing. Several bloodhounds tracked him for several hours before losing his scent near Pleasant Hill.

Deputy Gaines was taken to the Veteran Administration Hospital in Memphis where he succumbed to his wounds the following day.

Deputy Gaines was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWI.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, and mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-90CAEFFB
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Gaines served with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Ripley community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office

Location Ripley, TN

Platform Identity lcso.lauderdale.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 24, 1942

Age 47

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Charlie William Monroe Gaines served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Deputy Sheriff Charlie William Monroe Gaines 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, 7 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office

of 7 officers

100% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious