William Phineas Brown

Pinal County Sheriff's Office — Florence, AZ

Felonious

End of Watch August 19, 1914

Age 32

The Vigil Panel 29 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Phineas Brown was ambushed and killed in Ray, Arizona, while trying to arrest four men for stealing a horse. Deputy Brown and a seventeen-year-old were going to a camp where the suspected horse thieves were. The seventeen-year-old was along to identify the horse. As the approached the camp, they were ambushed and killed, launching the bloodiest manhunt in Arizona history. After news of the ambush reached town, a large posse road toward the camp. As they approached the camp they saw a group of men off to the side of the trail and began firing, killing four of the would-be ambushers. The rest retreated to the camp. The next day the posse assaulted the camp where two posse members were killed and two additional gang members were killed. The rest of the gang scattered to the hills. One gang member was shot as he tried to re-enter the town. Another was killed and two captured near Sacaton. The last member of the gang was captured and confessed and was hung on December 10th, 1915.

Survivors

Deputy Brown was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Deputy Sheriff Brown served with the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Florence community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Brown.

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

Agency

Department Pinal County Sheriff's Office

Location Florence, AZ

Platform Identity pcso.pinal.az.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 19, 1914

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Hung in 1915

Deputy Sheriff William Phineas Brown 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 Pinal County Sheriff's Office, 12 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.7% of this agency's fallen.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office

of 14 officers

85.7% Felonious

AZ — Statewide

204

of 330 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious