Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Chief Shearhart was shot and killed while trying to arrest a forgery suspect. Chief Shearhart and two other officers went to a farmhouse while searching for a forgery suspect. When they arrived at the farmhouse, the farmer told the officers the man they were looking for was in the barn behind the house. While the officers went to the barn, the farmer came out of the house and hid in a ditch with a twelve-gauge shotgun. Locating no one in the barn, Chief Shearhart came back to the front of the house. As he came back around to the front of the house, the farmer shot him in the heart, wounding him fatally. Chief Shearhart died 30 minutes later at a hospital in Vinita. The farmer was arrested by the other officers and charged with murder. The farmer, a 75 year old man, maintained during his trial that the shotgun was accidentally discharged. On September 13, 1945, he was acquitted. Chief Shearhart was survived by his wife, four sons and one grandchild. He was serving the remainder of the term of the previous Chief who had resigned. He had been elected to the Chief’s position the previous March and had been due to take office to begin serving his own term on May 7th.
Survivors
Chief Shearhart was survived by his wife, four sons and one grandchild.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-OK-0E5F193D- Stewardship
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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.
Chief of Police Shearhart served with the Vinita Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Vinita community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Shearhart.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Lester Arthur "Chester" Shearhart 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lester Arthur "Chester" Shearhart's cause is highlighted.
How Lester Arthur "Chester" Shearhart Compares
Offender Outcome
Acquitted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Lester Arthur "Chester" Shearhart is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Lester Arthur "Chester" Shearhart was killed by shotgun; 12 gauge.