Levin P. Smith, Jr

Bryan Police Department — Bryan, TX

Felonious

End of Watch May 15, 1885

Age 24

The Vigil Panel 8 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

On May 14, 1885, 40 convicts escaped from a prison work camp. Sixteen of the convicts headed to Bryan to seize the powder magazine. On May 15 between 1 and 2 o'clock Bryan City Marshal A. B. Carr, deputy city marshals Levin P. Smith, Jr., and Levi Neal, and Brazos County Deputy Sheriff Robert Smith, brother of Levin, and Mr. J. P. Noll stationed themselves about one mile south of the city.

The convicts were all mounted on mules and heavily armed with guns and pistols, and when brought to a halt began firing immediately. Deputy City Marshal Levin P. Smith, Jr., was fatally shot, the ball entering the right breast and lodging under the left shoulder. Smith died almost instantly. Besides the fatal shot, another took off one of his fingers and the stock of his pistol. City Marshal A. B. Carr received several shots in his clothing and two shots in his hat, but without injury. It was reported that three of the convicts were seriously wounded. Nine convicts were indicted for the murder.

Smith was buried in the Wixon Cemetery in Brazos County next to his father who had died 5 weeks earlier.

Related information: On December 2, 1888, Smith's brother, Robert, who was later elected as a constable, accompanied Bryan City Marshal M. M. Wilcox and Deputy City Marshal Levi Neal to serve a warrant. City Marshal Wilcox was killed. Deputy City Marshal Levi Neal was himself killed on February 24, 1900 while walking a prisoner to the city jail.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-77F5C63C
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

141 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy City Marshal Smith served with the Bryan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Bryan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Bryan Police Department

Location Bryan, TX

Platform Identity bpd.brazos.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 15, 1885

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Unknown weapon

Deputy City Marshal Levin P. Smith, Jr 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Bryan Police Department, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Bryan Police Department

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious