Elmer Moorehead

Ardmore Police Department — Ardmore, OK

Felonious

End of Watch January 23, 1931

Age 37

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 61 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Detective Elmer "Buddie" Moorehead was shot and killed by a suspect near the viaduct on highway 70 east of Ardmore. Detective Moorehead had gone to the area to provide aid to a group of squatters looking to leave the area. Once there he came upon a suspicious vehicle with two suspects inside. As he questioned the men inside the Buick sedan, one of the suspects was able to disarm Detective Moorehead and ordered him into the car at gunpoint. The suspect drove off, leaving his companion behind. Shortly, thereafter Detective Moorehead was shot by the suspect holding a gun on him in the car. Detective Moorehead's body was discovered thrown from the car, which his attacker then drove away in. The suspect, who it was believed had been involved in a series of robberies when Detective Moorehead came upon him, fled the scene but was later shot and killed in Texas when he resisted arrest.

Survivors

Detective Moorhead had served with the agency for 18 months, and was survived by his wife, his infant son, his mother, and seven siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OK-2F11DC28
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

You barely got started.
Detective Moorehead gave the Ardmore Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Ardmore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Moorehead.

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

Agency

Department Ardmore Police Department

Location Ardmore, OK

Platform Identity apd.carter.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 23, 1931

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo

Age 37

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Detective Elmer Moorehead 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 Ardmore Police Department, 5 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Ardmore Police Department

of 7 officers

71.4% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious