Roll of Honor
Incident
Policeman Charles Smelser succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained three days earlier while attempting to arrest three drunk men who left a bar and went on a rampage, shooting at everyone they saw.
Policeman Smelser confronted one of the men and was placing him under arrest when one of the other men approached and held him at bay with a shotgun. The first man then took Policeman Smelser's service revolver and shot him in the head. He then fired the shotgun in the face of another policeman arriving at the scene, blinding him in one eye and seriously damaging the other.
The men continued shooting other citizens, wounding two, one critically.until one of them was finally shot and wounded by the chief of police. All three were charged with Policeman Smelser's murder. The 22-year-old killer of Policeman Smelzer was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 30 years. One was acquitted, and a mistrial was declared in the trial of the third subject. The killer was denied a pardon by Governor Robert B. Glenn in 1905. He escaped from a Wilmington prison camp in 1907.
Policeman Smelser was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Policeman Smelser was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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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.
Policeman Smelser served with the Hot Springs Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Hot Springs community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Smelser.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Policeman Charles Hartsell Smelser 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 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. Charles Hartsell Smelser's cause is highlighted.
How Charles Hartsell Smelser Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 30 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Hartsell Smelser is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Charles Hartsell Smelser was killed by officer's handgun.