Roll of Honor
W. M. Russell
Incident
Sheriff Russell was shot and killed by a prisoner he was transporting on a train. Sheriff W. M. Russell and Sheriff W. S. Russell were escorting two men that had been arrested for having over a thousand dollars of merchandise that had been stolen from a store in Sherman, Oklahoma. One of the prisoners somehow had a pistol secreted in his pocket and while handcuffed was able to draw and fire, hitting Sheriff W. M. Russell in the head, killing him almost instantly. Sheriff W. S. Russell fell in the fracas and hurt his hand. The two prisoners escaped by jumping from the moving train.
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BO-US-FED-2D997EC8- 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
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Russell served with the United States Department of the Interior.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Russell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff W. M. Russell 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, 45 of 52 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 86.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. W. M. Russell's cause is highlighted.
How W. M. Russell Compares
Offender Outcome
Escaped
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. W. M. Russell is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. W. M. Russell was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
51 officers from United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
