Patrick Hagans Bates
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Patrick Hagans Bates

Letcher County Sheriff's Office — Whitesburg, KY
Felonious
End of Watch July 16, 1927
Age 50
Tour of Duty
The Vigil Panel 53 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Patrick Bates succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained six days earlier when he was shot while making an arrest.

The 48-year-old subject was arrested ten days later and charged with Deputy Bates' murder. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years. He died in prison March 22, 1929.

Deputy Bates had served with the Letcher County Sheriff's Office for only two weeks. He was survived by his wife and two children. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-6A8154D8
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Bates served with the Letcher County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Whitesburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Bates.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Whitesburg, Letcher County, KY
Platform Identity lcso.letcher.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 16, 1927
Tour of Duty
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

Deputy Sheriff Patrick Hagans Bates 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%.

At Letcher County Sheriff's Office, 16 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 84.2% of this agency's fallen.

Letcher County Sheriff's Office
16
of 19 officers
84.2% Felonious
KY — Statewide
755
of 983 officers
76.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Patrick Hagans Bates's cause is highlighted.

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

How Patrick Hagans Bates Compares

Age at Death
50
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
0
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Patrick Hagans Bates is highlighted in Jul.

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. Patrick Hagans Bates was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909