Emmett O. Edmonds
Sheriff

Emmett O. Edmonds

Baxter County Sheriff's Department — Mountain Home, AR
Felonious
End of Watch May 4, 1968
Age 49
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Badge 1
The Vigil Panel 104 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sheriff Edmonds was shot and killed during an escape from the Baxter County Courthouse Jail. He and a city marshal had gone to the third floor of the courthouse to feed the prisoners breakfast. While Sheriff Edmonds talked to two of the prisoners they suddenly attacked him and one shot him with a .32 caliber handgun that had been smuggled to him by his wife earlier. The shooter escaped but was apprehended three days later in Cotter. The suspect, 30, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in 1969. He was still in prison on January 1, 1999.

Survivors

Sheriff Edmonds had been with the agency for ten years and was survived by his wife, daughter and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AR-662E5777
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.
Sheriff Edmonds gave the Baxter County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mountain Home community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Edmonds.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Mountain Home, Baxter County, AR
Platform Identity bcso.baxter.ar.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 4, 1968
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 49
Badge Number 1
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Sheriff Emmett O. Edmonds 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 AR, 249 of 372 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.9% of this state's fallen. That is 66.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Baxter County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Baxter County Sheriff's Department
2
of 5 officers
40% Felonious
AR — Statewide
249
of 372 officers
66.9% 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. Emmett O. Edmonds's cause is highlighted.

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

How Emmett O. Edmonds Compares

Age at Death
49
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
10
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Emmett O. Edmonds is highlighted in May.

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. Emmett O. Edmonds was killed by handgun.

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