Frank Chapman
Agency patch
Inspector

Frank Chapman

Felonious
End of Watch September 23, 1906
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
The Vigil Panel 21 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Inspector Frank Chapman was shot and killed while investigating reports that a group of Mexican smugglers had shot up the town of Lajitas, Texas. He and another inspector had just arrived in the town to investigate the reports when they were ambushed. Inspector Chapman was shot and killed instantly. A Texas Rangers company arrested 14 smugglers in connection with Inspector Chapman's murder, but it not known if any were indicted or convicted. Inspector Chapman was reported to have seen much service on the frontier as a lawman. He was probably a Deputy U.S. Marshal around 1893, a Texas Ranger in 1880-1881, and a Mounted Customs Inspector since the early 1900s.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-06DCCBCD
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.
Inspector Chapman gave the United States Department of the Treasury 17 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Inspector Chapman.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 23, 1906
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Inspector Frank Chapman 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 47 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service
47
of 94 officers
50% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% 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. Frank Chapman's cause is highlighted.

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

How Frank Chapman Compares

Years of Service
17
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Frank Chapman is highlighted in Sep.

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. Frank Chapman was killed by gun.

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

Incident Location