Richard W. Slusher
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Richard W. Slusher

Accident
End of Watch April 11, 1902
Age 30
The Vigil Panel 17 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Slusher succumbed to an accident gunshot wound sustained when his pistol fell from its holster and discharged, striking him in the head.

The incident occurred on a Louisville and Middlesborough Railroad train, near Rowland, as Deputy Slusher returned from testifying in a trial in Frankfort.

After being shot he was taken to his brother-in-law's home, where he died the following day.

Rest In Peace Brother LEO. Your sacrifice is not forgotten.

Officer Mike Robinson (Ret) Upland Police Dept. CA April 11th, 2018

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-2BF9E352
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Slusher served with the Bell County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Pineville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Slusher.

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

Agency

Location Pineville, KY
Platform Identity bcso.bell.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 11, 1902
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Gunfire (Inadvertent)

Deputy Sheriff Richard W. Slusher is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In KY, 161 of 983 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.4% of this state's fallen. That is 14.6 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Bell County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 26 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 7.7% of this agency's fallen.

Bell County Sheriff's Department
2
of 26 officers
7.7% Accident
KY — Statewide
161
of 983 officers
16.4% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard W. Slusher's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Richard W. Slusher Compares

Age at End of Watch
30
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Richard W. Slusher is highlighted in Apr.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897