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Deputy Sheriff

Nat Gaines

Dunklin County Sheriff's Office — Kennett, MO

Felonious

End of Watch December 21, 1890

The Vigil Panel 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Nat Gaines was shot and killed by a man attempting to return to a saloon that he been thrown out of near Kennett's public square. The subject was intoxicated and had been thrown out of Summer's Saloon by the owner. He went home and returned with a pistol, threatening the saloon owner's life. Deputy Gaines approached the man and tried to take hold of his hand but failed in the attempt due to a crippled hand. Deputy Gaines was shot in the stomach by the man and died at 6:00 p.m the following evening. The man, who was shot in the thigh during the scuffle, fled and was never apprehended.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-FA5D55B0
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

136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Gaines served with the Dunklin County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Kennett community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Dunklin County Sheriff's Office

Location Kennett, MO

Platform Identity dcso.dunklin.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 21, 1890

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Never apprehended

Deputy Sheriff Nat Gaines 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

Dunklin County Sheriff's Office

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Nat Gaines'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 Nat Gaines Compares

Offender Outcome

Never apprehended

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Nat Gaines is highlighted in Dec.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Nat Gaines was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518