Roll of Honor
John W. Parrott
Incident
Inspector John Parrott succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained on December 30th, 1926, when he was shot during a traffic stop in the Upper Valley area of El Paso County, Texas. He and his partner were patrolling the area looking for smugglers. They signaled a truck with three men to stop a short distance from the Rio Grande River and approached it with their flashlights to see what was in it. Inspector Parrott's partner opened a tool box on the side of the car but found no contraband. He saw a bag of bottles on the back seat and reached into the car to retrieve it. As he did so the subject opened fire from inside the vehicle and shot him in the shoulder. The wounded inspector pulled two pistols and fired three shots from one and four shots from the other. The driver was wounded and fled the scene with Inspector Parrott in pursuit. Inspector Parrott returned to the scene suffering a gunshot wound to stomach after having fired five rounds at the suspect. He staggered to the truck and handcuffed one of the men to the seat. A second subject was dead in the truck with a shot through the head. An El Paso County motorcycle officer arrived and had both officers taken to the hospital. Customs Service inspectors and Border Patrol agents pursued the outstanding subject to Bowen, New Mexico, where he was arrested. The man was convicted of the murder of Parrott and sentenced to life in prison. It is unknown as to the disposition of charges on the other subject. It was initially thought that Inspector Parrott's partner was the more seriously wounded, but Inspector Parrott had been sick with the flu and his immune system was in a weakened state. He died in the hospital around 5:00 p.m. on January 7th, 1927. He had only served with the United States Customs Service for a few weeks. He was survived by his wife and four children. He was buried in the Masonic Section of Concordia Cemetery in El Paso, Texas.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Inspector Parrott served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Inspector Parrott.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Inspector John W. Parrott 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 47 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John W. Parrott's cause is highlighted.
How John W. Parrott Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John W. Parrott is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John W. Parrott was killed by gun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
93 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
