John Phillips

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch June 30, 1888

The Vigil Panel 9 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 312

Incident

Deputy Marshal John Phillips and Deputy Marshal William Whitson were shot and killed near Eufala, Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma), while attempting to arrest two men on a road leading to the Green Corn Dance festival. When the marshals commanded the brothers to surrender they were met with gunfire and Marshal Phillips was struck in the head and killed instantly. Marshal Whitson was able to return fire before being fatally wounded.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-FBE61240
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

138 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Phillips served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 30, 1888

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Not available

Deputy U.S. Marshal John Phillips 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 Justice - United States Marshals Service, 251 of 313 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.2% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

251

of 313 officers

80.2% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious