Orrin Henry "Ott" Reed

McAlester Police Department — McAlester, OK

Felonious

End of Watch June 17, 1933

Age 48

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 66 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Chief of Police Ott Reed was one of four law enforcement officers killed in an incident referred to as the Kansas City Massacre at the Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri. Chief of Police Reed of the McAlester Police Department received a tip about the escapee's hiding place and, with federal agents, apprehended the escapee in Arkansas. Chief Reed and Agent Caffrey arrived at the train station and were met with additional agents and local law enforcement officers. At 7:17 a.m., as officers placed an escaped convict into a federal car to transport him to Leavenworth, two men stepped out from behind a parked car and fired at officers. During the barrage of gunfire, a car containing a few men also shot at officers with machine guns as they passed the parked cars. Chief Reed was slain while sitting in the back of the federal vehicle. Chief Reed had served as chief of police at the McAlester Police Department for 3 years and previously served as a deputy sheriff with the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office. Survivors include his wife, son, and two daughters. On June 17, 1933, a group of men attempted to free inmate Frank Nash as he was being transported to Leavenworth. In the ensuing gun battle, Detective Frank Hermanson and Detective William Grooms, of the Kansas City Police Department, Chief of Police Otto Read, of the McAlester Police Department, Oklahoma, and Special Agent Raymond Caffrey, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, were shot and killed. This ambush became known as the Kansas City Massacre. Please click here to read more about the Kansas City Massacre and the law enforcement officers killed.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife, son, and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OK-0259F495
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.
Chief of Police Reed gave the McAlester Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the McAlester community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Reed.

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

Agency

Department McAlester Police Department

Location McAlester, OK

Platform Identity mpd.pittsburg.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 17, 1933

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 48

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; Machine gun

Offender One executed

Chief of Police Orrin Henry "Ott" Reed 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 OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 15 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At McAlester Police Department, 1 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 14.3% of this agency's fallen.

McAlester Police Department

of 7 officers

14.3% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious