Henry Creighton Pointel
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Henry Creighton Pointel

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch April 13, 1929
Age 31
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
The Vigil Panel 57 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Creighton Pointel was shot and killed while serving a warrant at the home and store of a suspected bootlegger on Central Avenue four miles south of Summerville.

When Deputy Pointel arrived at the store around noon, the suspect asked for time so his wife could get dressed and post bond. The suspect went upstairs and shot Deputy Pointel from the upstairs window. Deputy Pointel had not drawn his weapon.

Deputy Pointel was transported to Summerville Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

After the suspect's initial statement that he shot the deputy in self-defense, he confessed to killing Deputy Pointel. He was convicted of murder, which carried a mandatory life sentence, but his sentence was commuted in 1938, and he was released from prison.

Deputy Pointel was a United States Army WWI veteran and had served with the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office for at least four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his father, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-BDFFCF43
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 Pointel gave the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. George 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 St. George, Dorchester County, SC
Platform Identity dcso.dorchester.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 13, 1929
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Henry Creighton Pointel served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Henry Creighton Pointel 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 SC, 271 of 440 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.6% of this state's fallen. That is 61.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Dorchester County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Dorchester County Sheriff's Office
1
of 4 officers
25% Felonious
SC — Statewide
271
of 440 officers
61.6% 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. Henry Creighton Pointel's cause is highlighted.

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

How Henry Creighton Pointel Compares

Age at Death
31
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
12
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Henry Creighton Pointel is highlighted in Apr.

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. Henry Creighton Pointel was killed by gun; unknown type.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Henry Creighton Pointel served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Henry Creighton Pointel’s page on salute.nw →

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