Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Pratt and Patrolman Edward Clark, of the North Platte, Nebraska, Police Department, were shot and killed while attempting to arrest two suspects wanted for a two-state crime spree. The two suspects had been stopped by Patrolman Clark near the South River Bridge. During the stop Patrolman Clark and the suspects became engaged in a heated argument and he was shot in the back as he turned away from them. The suspects fled back into Kansas where they were stopped by Sheriff Pratt, who was shot and killed as he approached their car. The suspects fled the scene. A week later one of the suspects, age 17, was arrested at his home in Tucumari, New Mexico. He claimed that the other suspect, who was nearly twice his age, shot and killed Patrolman Clark and Sheriff Pratt. On September 11, 1925, the second suspect was shot and killed in a gun battle with police in Altus, Oklahoma. The 17 year-old suspect was convicted of Patrolman Clark's murder and sentenced to life on October 10, 1925. He was paroled in October of 1936.
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- 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 Pratt served with the Thomas County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Colby community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Pratt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Samuel Craig Pratt 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 KS, 237 of 335 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.7% of this state's fallen. That is 16.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samuel Craig Pratt's cause is highlighted.
How Samuel Craig Pratt Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Samuel Craig Pratt is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Samuel Craig Pratt was killed by gun; unknown type.