Roll of Honor
Chauncey Belden Whitney
Incident
Sheriff Chancey Whitney was accidentally shot and killed. After breaking up a fight in a local saloon involving another officer, Sheriff Whitney, and two civilians, exited the saloon and were walking down the street when the other officer involved in the fight ran into the street and began firing his gun. As Sheriff Whitney turned to answer the gunfire, one of the civilian's shotguns discharged and struck Sheriff Whitney in the chest. He died three days later. The officer who started the disturbance was later fired, re-hired, fired again, and killed on October 16, 1877. The civilian suspect was also involved in three other killings and wounding a man; it is unknown if he was either acquitted or never tried. The civilian suspect died on September 6, 1897, of natural causes. Sheriff Whitney was a United States Army Scout during the Indian Wars and had served with the Ellsworth County Sheriff's Department for three years. He was survived by his wife and daughter. He is buried in Ellsworth Cemetery, Ellsworth, Kansas.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KS-FF63A113- 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
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sheriff Whitney gave the Ellsworth County Sheriff's Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ellsworth community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Chauncey Belden Whitney served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sheriff Chauncey Belden Whitney 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. Chauncey Belden Whitney's cause is highlighted.
How Chauncey Belden Whitney Compares
Offender Outcome
Acquitted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Chauncey Belden Whitney is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Chauncey Belden Whitney was killed by shotgun.