Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Woods was shot and killed when he and the Kearney County sheriff went to a hotel to arrest two horse thieves. Sheriff Woods went in through the front door as the other sheriff approached from the back door. Sheriff Woods was holding the suspects at gunpoint but one of the men was able to draw his revolver and shot Sheriff Woods twice. The two suspects fled town after the shooting. Sheriff Woods' murderer was later shot and killed by officers at Lakin and the other suspect was apprehended.
Survivors
Sheriff Woods was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NE-5DBA4635- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
144 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Woods served with the Hitchcock County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Trenton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Jack Woods 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 NE, 97 of 151 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.2% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jack Woods's cause is highlighted.
How Jack Woods Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jack Woods is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jack Woods was killed by handgun; revolver.