Charles H. Nichols

Dallas County Sheriff's Department — Dallas, TX

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 20, 1871

Age 30

The Vigil Panel 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 19

Incident

Deputies Charles Nichols and James McMahan were shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect. When the officers attempted to handcuff the suspect, he produced a handgun and shot both of them. The suspect was one of two brothers known as the James-Younger Gang who shot and killed Deputy Edwin Daniels, of the St. Clair County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department, on March 17, 1874. The brother who murdered Deputy Nichols and Deputy McMahan was also shot and killed in the shootout. The James-Younger Gang was also connected to the death of Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Officer Frank West in 1886 by the husband of Bell Starr, an accomplice of the gang. Deputy Nichols had served as a Confederate Officer in Civil War and is buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Dallas, Texas.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-81E327BB
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Nichols served with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Dallas County Sheriff's Department

Location Dallas, TX

Platform Identity dcso.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 1871

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Charles H. Nichols served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Deputy Sheriff Charles H. Nichols 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 Dallas County Sheriff's Department, 14 of 20 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this agency's fallen.

Dallas County Sheriff's Department

of 20 officers

70% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious