Robert L. Wood
Agency patch
Mounted Inspector

Robert L. Wood

Felonious
End of Watch July 31, 1916
Age 24
The Vigil Panel 31 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Mounted Inspector Robert Wood was shot and killed approximately five miles south of Fort Hancock after a group of Mexican bandits who were being pursued by Carranzistas crossed the Rio Grande River into the United States.

Inspector Wood, a second mounted inspector, and several U.S. Army soldiers surrounded the hut that the group was hiding in. The bandits opened fire from within the hut, killing Inspector Wood and U.S. Army Private John Towney.

At the request of the troops, the Carranzistas also crossed the border and assisted the Army troops in a prolonged gun battle in which at least three of the bandits were killed. Several others were able to escape back across the river into Mexico.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-3363A07B
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Mounted Inspector Wood served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Mounted Inspector Wood.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 31, 1916
Age 24
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Rifle

Mounted Inspector Robert L. Wood 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.

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service
47
of 94 officers
50% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% 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. Robert L. Wood's cause is highlighted.

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

How Robert L. Wood Compares

Age at Death
24
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert L. Wood 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. Robert L. Wood was killed by rifle.

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

Incident Location