Row Brown
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Row Brown

Garland County Sheriff's Office — Hot Springs, AR
Felonious
End of Watch October 14, 1920
The Vigil Panel 39 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Brown was shot and killed during the "Slaughter Bridge Shootout." The family that owned the bridge were described by local newspapers as "a band of desparadoes". The suspect, Tom Slaughter, who killed Deputy Brown was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life. Slaughter would soon be considered the most dangerous inmate in the Arkansas Penitentiary. At the time he killed Deputy Brown he was an escapee from the Texas Penitentiary. He was wanted in Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, for robberies and other crimes. On September 16, 1921, he shot and killed a fellow inmate when he opened fire on a group of guards with a rifle that had been smuggled into the prison for him. He was convicted of the inmate's murder and sentenced to death. On December 8, 1921, a revolver was smuggled to him on death row. He escaped along with six other prisoners, four of them death row inmates. That night near Benton, as they rested from dodging posses all day, one of the inmates turned on Slaughter and shot and killed him. After his capture he told prison officials that the only reason he left the prison with Slaughter was to kill him if he got the opportunity. He was returned to prison but did get a $500 reward that had been offered for Slaughter's capture, "Dead or Alive".

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AR-02AD3067
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Brown served with the Garland County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Hot Springs community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Brown.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Hot Springs, Garland County, AR
Platform Identity gcso.garland.ar.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 14, 1920
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Deputy Sheriff Row Brown 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 97,756 officers honored here.

In AR, 249 of 372 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.9% of this state's fallen. That is 66.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Garland County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Garland County Sheriff's Office
2
of 4 officers
50% Felonious
AR — Statewide
249
of 372 officers
66.9% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,756 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

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

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

How Row Brown Compares

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Row Brown 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. Row Brown was killed by gun.

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

3 officers from Garland County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.