Washington May Bennett

Marshall County Sheriff's Dept. — Guntersville, AL

Felonious

End of Watch May 18, 1951

Age 40

The Vigil Panel 87 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Chief Deputy Sheriff Washington Bennett, Sheriff E.M. Boyles, and Chief of Police Leonard Floyd, of the Boaz Police Department, were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant at a farmhouse on a man, 40, for assault with intent to kill a neighbor. As the three other deputies and another deputy reached the suspect's farmhouse, he came out with a rifle, firing rapidly at the officers as they were getting out of their car. All four returned fire, killing the man. As the man fell, his 16-year-old son grabbed the rifle. Firing rapidly from the hip, he brought down all four lawmen. Chief Floyd was shot in the back, never drawing his weapon. Sheriff Boyles was shot in his right hand, shattering the butt of of his gun and then fatally struck in his side, killing him instantly. Chief Deputy Bennett shot through the left temple, the bullet exiting his right jaw, managed to get the seriously wounded deputy into the car, and drove into Boaz, sounding the alarm. Chief Deputy Bennett died in a hospital three hours later. The boy and two men in the home were arrested and charged with three counts of murder. The wounded deputy said shots not only came from the youth, but also from two windows. Yet charges against the two men were dropped. Only the Youth was tried for murder. Over the next two years, four trials ended with hung juries. Just as the fifth trial was about to begin, a plea bargain resulted in a 10-year sentence. He was paroled on December 24, 1957.

Survivors

Chief Deputy Bennett was survived by his wife, two children, and a brother.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Bennett served with the Marshall County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Guntersville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Sheriff Bennett.

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

Agency

Department Marshall County Sheriff's Dept.

Location Guntersville, AL

Platform Identity mcso.marshall.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1951

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .32 caliber carbine

Offender warrant

Chief Deputy Sheriff Washington May Bennett 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Marshall County Sheriff's Dept., 4 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this agency's fallen.

Marshall County Sheriff's Dept.

of 7 officers

57.1% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious