John Boykin

Orange County Sheriff's Office — Orange, TX

Felonious

End of Watch May 6, 1907

Age 28

The Vigil Panel 21 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

On April 20, 1907, Deputy Sheriff John Boykin shot and wounded a bartender he was attempting to arrest for abusing a female at a saloon in the City of Orange. A Constable arrested DeputyBoykin and Deputy Boykin posted a $500 bond pending an examining trial which was customary at the time.

Earlier on the night of May 7, 1907 two men were shot and wounded from ambush. At about 11:10 p.m. Deputy Sheriff Boykin was at same saloon where he had shot the bartender on April 20th, socializing with friends. Deputy Boykin was shot from outside the saloon and started walking outside when he was shot twice more. Deputy Boykin fell to the ground, and was shot three more times, killing him.

The Sheriff and a local lawman arrested seven men and women as material witnesses. The sheriff stated that these suspects knew who killed Deputy Boykin and wounded the two other men. The newspaper reported that the shootings of Deputy Boykin was revenge for the earlier shootings. While the grand jury investigated the death of Deputy Boykin and the wounding of the two other men, and some indictments were issued, it is unknown anyone was indicted, tried or convicted for the murder of Deputy Boykin.

Very little personal information is known about John Boykin. There is no mention of a wife or children. His place of burial is unknown and not in any of the cemetery books for Orange County. He was born in July 1878 which would have made him 28 years and 10 months old at the time of his death. The 1900 census for Orange County has John Boykin, 21, living at home with his father, Ely Boykin, 60, mother, Ann Boykin, 56, and siblings, Emma, 20, Annie, 17, Allis, 15 and Warren, 12.

Rest in Peace Deputy Sheriff John Boykin. Thank You for your Service and Sacrifice protecting the citizens of Orange County, Texas.

Your Death will be avenged when the hounds of hell come running into town to collect the souls of the bastards that gunned you down!

Senior Special Agent B.L. Sherwood (Ret) Port Terminal Railroad Police Houston, Texas May 7th, 2016

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-C06A488E
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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 Boykin served with the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Orange community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Boykin.

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

Agency

Department Orange County Sheriff's Office

Location Orange, TX

Platform Identity ocso.orange.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 6, 1907

Age 28

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Deputy Sheriff John Boykin 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 Orange County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

Orange County Sheriff's Office

of 5 officers

80% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious