John Arlington Hargis
Deputy Sheriff

John Arlington Hargis

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch August 23, 1928
Age 45
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
The Vigil Panel 55 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff John Hargis was shot and killed as he and two other deputies investigated reports of a man selling illegal liquor on Shawnee Street. The subject opened fire on the deputies, striking Deputy Hargis. The suspect was arrested the following day by the Nacogdoches police chief.

The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to 99 years. He was pardoned July 15, 1939.

Deputy Hargis was a military veteran and had served with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office for 25 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-D3B5A899
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 Hargis gave the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nacogdoches 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 Other
Location Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, TX
Platform Identity ncso.nacogdoches.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 23, 1928
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

John Arlington Hargis served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff John Arlington Hargis 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 TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Department, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Department
5
of 6 officers
83.3% Felonious
TX — Statewide
1,460
of 2,421 officers
60.3% 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. John Arlington Hargis's cause is highlighted.

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

How John Arlington Hargis Compares

Age at Death
45
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
25
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Arlington Hargis 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. John Arlington Hargis 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

Military Service

John Arlington Hargis served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit John Arlington Hargis’s page on salute.nw →

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