Roll of Honor
Joel Robert Dubose
Incident
Location: Arizona Incident Date: Sunday, September 4, 1910 Weapon: Handgun Offender: Committed suicide
Special Officer Joel Dubose was shot and killed in the rail yards at Gila Bend, Arizona, while attempting to eject a hobo from train Number 4.
The train was pulling out of the yards when Officer Dubose saw the man climb onto the baggage car and ordered him off the train. The man then opened fire on Officer Dubose and struck him in the abdomen. Despite being wounded, Officer Dubose returned fire and struck the subject once.
The man ran behind the nearby roundhouse and committed suicide.
Officer Dubose was taken to a hospital in Tucson where he died from his wound the following morning.
Officer Dubose was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Officer Dubose was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-EAF7CF6C- 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.
Special Officer Dubose gave the Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Officer Dubose.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Officer Joel Robert Dubose 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 CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department, 15 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joel Robert Dubose's cause is highlighted.
How Joel Robert Dubose Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joel Robert Dubose is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Joel Robert Dubose was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
22 officers from Southern Pacific Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
