Odis N. Smith

Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office — Shawnee, OK

Felonious

End of Watch February 3, 1963

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Odis Smith was killed while assisting a McCloud constable transport a suspect he had arrested. The constable had arrested a hitchhiker carrying a 30-30 Winchester rifle who was AWOL from an Air Force base in Kansas. The constable contacted Deputy Smith at his home to assist him in transporting the suspect to the county jail. Neither officer had noticed a .25 automatic pistol the suspect was carrying in a shoulder holster. The constable drove to Shawnee with the deputy and prisoner in the back seat with his hands handcuffed in front of him. One mile east of Dale, on Highway 270, the suspect drew the weapon and shot Deputy Smith four times in the chest, leg, and shoulders. The constable's car left the roadway and crashed, allowing the subject to jump out. Deputy Smith got out of the wrecked police car and tried to pursue the man but collapsed in the roadway. A passing vehicle struck the deputy and dragged his body 30 feet before stopping. The subject surrendered to the constable at the scene. The man was convicted of Deputy Smith's murder and sentenced to life in prison, but paroled after serving only 14 years. In August 2017 the man was arrested in North Carolina and charged with six counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Survivors

Deputy Smith was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OK-A2BE809B
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.
Deputy Sheriff Smith served with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Shawnee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Smith.

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

Agency

Department Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office

Location Shawnee, OK

Platform Identity pcso.pottawatomie.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 3, 1963

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .25 caliber

Offender Paroled after 14 years

Deputy Sheriff Odis N. Smith 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 Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office

of 7 officers

28.6% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious