Roll of Honor
Incident
City Marshal John Norris was shot and killed from ambush while inside of a saloon with several friends.
It is believed that he was slain in retaliation for an incident that occurred on April 14th, 1879, in which he and a deputy city marshal fatally shot a man who had resisted arrest. The brother of the deceased man was arrested and charged with City Marshal Norris' murder.
It is not known if he was convicted of Marshal Norris' murder, however, the man died in prison on June 21st, 1887, while serving a sentence for cattle theft.
Marshal Norris was survived by his wife and eight children.
Survivors
Marshal Norris was survived by his wife and eight children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-FBA6904A- Stewardship
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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
147 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
City Marshal Norris served with the Sulphur Springs Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Sulphur Springs community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal John A. Norris 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John A. Norris's cause is highlighted.
How John A. Norris Compares
Offender Outcome
Died in 1887
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John A. Norris is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John A. Norris was killed by handgun.