Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Montana Weapon: Gun; Unknown type Offender: Shot and killed
Deputy Sheriff Jack O'Harra was shot and killed while attempting to arrest members of a horse thief gang.
The United States Marshals Office enlisted the aid of deputies to transport a suspected member of the horse thief gang from Miles City, Montana, to Deadwood, South Dakota. The gang planned to rescue the prisoner, and Deputy O'Harra, with two other officers, set on the trail to track down the gang heading westward.
A gunfight ensued at Stoneville, currently known as Alzada, Montana, where Deputy O'Harra was mortally wounded. A member of the gang was killed. Three escaped but were killed by cowboys in the area. Another was killed the next day. One was injured, captured, and while recovering in the hospital in Spearfish, he was hanged. The leader of the gang was killed in Mexico years later. The prisoner was safely transported to prison.
Deputy O'Harra was survived by his wife and children.
He is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery at Spearfish, Lawrence County, South Dakota.
Survivors
Deputy O'Harra was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SD-0E705E4D- 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
142 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff O'Harra served with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Deadwood community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff John O'Harra 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 SD, 36 of 62 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.1% of this state's fallen. That is 58.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John O'Harra's cause is highlighted.
How John O'Harra Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John O'Harra is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John O'Harra was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Lawrence County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.