Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Dominick Cavanaugh was beaten to death by his opponent in the previous election for the office of sheriff.
Sheriff Cavanaugh was returning to his home in Glendive when he was approached by the man, who engaged him in conversation near his stables. When Sheriff Cavanaugh turned to leave the man struck him on the back of the head with a metal bar, knocking him to the ground. He continued beating him until leaving the scene.
The subject was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death. He was subsequently executed by hanging on March 29th, 1900.
Sheriff Cavanaugh had served as the county sheriff for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and infant son.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-MT-6782F277- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Cavanaugh gave the Dawson County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Glendive community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Dominick Cavanaugh 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 MT, 93 of 142 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.5% of this state's fallen. That is 11.3 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. Dominick Cavanaugh's cause is highlighted.
How Dominick Cavanaugh Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Dominick Cavanaugh is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Dominick Cavanaugh was killed by blunt object.