Rollin Culberson Nichols

United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch November 28, 1933

Age 39

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 67 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 93

Incident

Inspector Rollin Nicholas succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained four days earlier while searching for liquor smugglers in El Paso, Texas. On Friday, November 24th, 1933, he and two other mounted inspectors went to the foot of Glenwood Drive in El Paso to search for liquor smugglers. The inspectors had seized $1,000 worth of illegal liquor one week earlier near San Elizario in El Paso County. As Inspector Nichols got out of his automobile, near a parked car believed to belong to the liquor runners, a smuggler fired at his face with a shotgun loaded with buckshot. Three of the buckshot lodged in his brain. The two other inspectors dragged him behind a river levee. More than 100 shots were exchanged between the two inspectors and an estimated 15 smugglers. They later reported that they believed they were led into a trap because of the San Elizario seizure. Inspector Nichols was unconscious and paralyzed when he was taken to the hospital. He died at 9:05 a.m. on November 28th, 1933. He was survived by his wife, daughter, father, and sister. He was buried in Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, father, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-12B23DDA
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Inspector Nichols gave the United States Department of the Treasury 5 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Inspector Nichols.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdtuscsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 28, 1933

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Not available

Inspector Rollin Culberson Nichols is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

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

of 94 officers

50% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious