Grover Cleveland Blanton
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Grover Cleveland Blanton

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch August 7, 1915
Age 30
The Vigil Panel 30 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Grover Blanton was shot and killed in Quicksand by two men in retaliation for an arrest that had occurred six months prior.

Deputy Blanton had been assigned to serve misdemeanor warrants on both men that resulted in one of them being jailed. On August 7th, 1915, Deputy Blanton had gone to the voting precinct at Quicksand and encountered the two men, not knowing that they held resentment against him. As they spoke one of the men suddenly pulled out a gun and shot him in the back. The second man then shot him in the abdomen.

Despite his wounds, Deputy Blanton fatally shot one man and wounded the other. Deputy Blanton was taken to Jackson by train where he died later in the day. The wounded man was convicted of Deputy Blanton's murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Deputy Blanton was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI. He was survived by his wife, parents, and three siblings. He was predeceased by one sibling.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, parents, and three siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-04E1EFF7
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 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 Blanton served with the Breathitt County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Jackson 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

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Jackson, KY
Platform Identity bcso.mercer.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 7, 1915
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Grover Cleveland Blanton served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Grover Cleveland Blanton 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 76.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Breathitt County Sheriff's Office, 9 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90% of this agency's fallen.

Breathitt County Sheriff's Office
9
of 10 officers
90% Felonious
KY — Statewide
755
of 983 officers
76.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Grover Cleveland Blanton's cause is highlighted.

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

How Grover Cleveland Blanton Compares

Age at Death
30
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Grover Cleveland Blanton is highlighted in Aug.

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. Grover Cleveland Blanton 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

Military Service

Grover Cleveland Blanton served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

Visit Grover Cleveland Blanton’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.