Wesley Green Cole
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Wesley Green Cole

End of Watch June 9, 1972
Age 46
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Badge 31
The Vigil Panel 110 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Wesley Cole was shot and killed after he responded to a call of a man breaking into automobiles in the parking lot of an upscale hotel at the interchange of I-44 and Peoria Avenue. Deputy Cole was working a secondary security job at the hotel when he was notified that somebody was rummaging through cars. When Deputy Cole asked for identification, the man pulled out a .25 caliber handgun and opened fire. Deputy Cole was able to return fire with his revolver. Both men emptied their weapons in the shootout, and both were fatally wounded. Deputy Cole was a United States Army Air Forces WWII veteran and had served with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office for ten years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and three daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-B23D602B
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Cole gave the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Tulsa community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Tulsa, Tulsa County, OK
Platform Identity tcso.tulsa.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 9, 1972
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 46
Badge Number 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Wesley Green Cole served in the U.S. Army (1945–1945) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Wesley Green Cole 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 69.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, 8 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.7% of this agency's fallen.

Tulsa County Sheriff's Office
8
of 11 officers
72.7% Felonious
OK — Statewide
403
of 582 officers
69.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wesley Green Cole's cause is highlighted.

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

How Wesley Green Cole Compares

Age at Death
46
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
10
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Wesley Green Cole is highlighted in Jun.

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. Wesley Green Cole was killed by handgun.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Wesley Green Cole served in the U.S. Army (1945–1945) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Wesley Green Cole’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.