Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Nat Gaines was shot and killed by a man attempting to return to a saloon that he been thrown out of near Kennett's public square. The subject was intoxicated and had been thrown out of Summer's Saloon by the owner. He went home and returned with a pistol, threatening the saloon owner's life. Deputy Gaines approached the man and tried to take hold of his hand but failed in the attempt due to a crippled hand. Deputy Gaines was shot in the stomach by the man and died at 6:00 p.m the following evening. The man, who was shot in the thigh during the scuffle, fled and was never apprehended.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-FA5D55B0- 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
136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Gaines served with the Dunklin County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Kennett community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Nat Gaines 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Nat Gaines's cause is highlighted.
How Nat Gaines Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Nat Gaines is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Nat Gaines was killed by gun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Dunklin County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.