Incident
Deputy Smith was shot and killed when he intervened in a robbery at a mercantile store in Bisbee. Five suspects arrived at the store. Two of them entered and three of them stayed outside and began firing their weapons to keep people away from the store. Three civilians were shot and killed as a result. Deputy Smith, hearing the shots, approached the scene and told the suspects he was a peace officer, but he was also shot and killed. The five suspects escaped but were eventually apprehended and hanged for the murder. A sixth man, who was determined to be an insider on the posse that was sent to arrest them, was also arrested but hanged by a mob before he could be tried.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AZ-57CDCD2E- Stewardship
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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
143 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Smith served with the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Bisbee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff D. Tom Smith 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 AZ, 204 of 330 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Cochise County Sheriff's Department, 14 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 93.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. D. Tom Smith's cause is highlighted.
How D. Tom Smith Compares
Offender Outcome
Hanged
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. D. Tom Smith is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. D. Tom Smith was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
14 officers from Cochise County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.





