Roll of Honor

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Town Marshal

Joseph Kirk

Inez Police Department — Inez, KY

Felonious

End of Watch October 1, 1899

Age 41

The Vigil Panel 15 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Town Marshal Joseph Kirk was shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on a man.

The subject had fired two shots at a man in town the previous day. Marshal Kirk went to the man's residence to arrest him, but he wasn't there. As he returned to town, he encountered the man and told him he was under arrest, at which point the main raised his Winchester rifle and fatally shot Marshal Kirk.

The suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to prison. In 1902, he was pardoned by Governor J. C. W. Beckham.

Marshal Kirk was survived by his wife and two children.

Survivors

Marshal Kirk was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-KY-434246DD
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

127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Town Marshal Kirk served with the Inez Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Inez community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Inez Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Inez, KY

Platform Identity ipd.martin.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 1, 1899

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Rifle; Winchester

Town Marshal Joseph Kirk 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 KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 76.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Inez Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

KY — Statewide

755

of 983 officers

76.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Kirk's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How Joseph Kirk Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Kirk is highlighted in Oct.

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. Joseph Kirk was killed by rifle; winchester.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Inez Police Department are honored on badge.nw.