Donald E. Knowlton
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Donald E. Knowlton

Felonious
End of Watch August 22, 1960
Age 31
The Vigil Panel 95 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Donald Knowlton was shot and killed after he and other deputies responded to a call involving an elderly man who was shooting at homes. When the officers arrived they located the man's footprints and followed them to a nearby outhouse in a field behind his home at 4022 Darwin Road. The suspect opened fire with a shotgun from inside the outhouse, striking Deputy Knowlton in the throat and chest. Deputy Knowlton was able to return fire and wounded the suspect, who was taken into custody. The 82-year-old suspect was found to be incoherent. He died in a Houston nursing home on September 8, 1963.

Survivors

Deputy Knowlton was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Knowlton served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Knowlton.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Houston, Harris County, TX
Platform Identity hcso.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 22, 1960
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Donald is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1960, 60 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 126th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Donald was 31. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Harris County Sheriff's Office has 56 officers remembered here, Donald among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Deputy Sheriff Donald E. Knowlton

Harris County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch August 22, 1960

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 48-W

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