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Richard D. Griffin
Incident
Federal Prohibition Agent Richard Griffin was shot and killed while raiding a still near Gadsden, Alabama. He and two other agents had arrested five of several men during the raid. Agent Griffin was shot as he began to chase one of the men who attempted to escape. The other four then bolted from the other two agents and opened fire along with others on all three agents. The other agents returned fire. Agent Griffin crawled to a place of safety and hid while the other two agents, running low on bullets, were forced to retreat to their car. They went to Gadsden an quickly returned with a doctor and several law officers and men. Agent Griffin was found with two gunshot wounds and died as he was being driven to a hospital. Within a few hours, six brothers, their father, and another man were arrested. An investigation revealed that the brother who ran from Agent Griffin shot him one time and possibly the second time, but one of the others could have also fired the second shot. No one was ever charged with murder. In June of 1921 five of the brothers, ages 20 to 38, and the other man were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to two years each in the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. All six were released on February 23, 1923.
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- August 2, 2026
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- August 2, 2026
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Federal Prohibition Agent Griffin served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Federal Prohibition Agent Griffin.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Felonious
United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit has lost 59 officers; 47 of them killed feloniously.
Richard is one of 754 officers killed feloniously in DC, 53.1% of the 1,419 remembered there.
Richard is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Richard is one of 17,631 officers killed feloniously worldwide, 52% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1920, 8 officers at United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit were killed feloniously, the 2nd heaviest of 7 years on record. The heaviest was 1922, with 14.
In 1920, 11 officers in DC were killed feloniously, the 13th heaviest of 159 years on record. The heaviest was 1922, with 20.
In 1920, 209 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 9th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.
In 1920, 396 officers worldwide were killed feloniously, the 2nd heaviest of 265 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 516.
Who
Richard was 25. Of the 37 killed feloniously at United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit whose age is recorded, half were between 36 and 48; the middle age was 41.
Richard was 25. Of the 580 killed feloniously in DC whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 44; the middle age was 36.
Richard was 25. 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.
Richard was 25. Of the 15,854 killed feloniously worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 38.
When
December holds 19.1% of these deaths at United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit, more than any other month. Mondays: 14.9%.
December holds 10.3% of these deaths in DC; July holds the most, 11.7%. Mondays: 14.9%.
December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.
December holds 9.2% of these deaths worldwide, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.
How
Felonious deaths account for 79.7% of all 59 deaths at United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 70.2% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 53.1% of all 1,419 deaths in DC, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 35% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 52% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 20.4% of these deaths.
His people
United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit has 59 officers remembered here, Richard among them.
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William Daniel Dorsey
Jun 13, 1920
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Frank Matuskowitz
Jun 30, 1920
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Stanton E. Weiss
Aug 28, 1920
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James Holland Rose
Oct 25, 1920
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Kirby Frans
Nov 20, 1920
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Wiliam B. Anderson Dec 2, 1920
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Richard D. Griffin Dec 6, 1920
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Richard W. Jackson
Dec 16, 1920
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James Francis McGuiness
Dec 24, 1920
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Ernest Walter Walker
Mar 5, 1921
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Stafford E. Beckett
Mar 21, 1921
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Jacob F. Green
Apr 1, 1921
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Irby U. Scruggs
Apr 30, 1921
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John Watson
May 2, 1921
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Charles Edward Howell Jul 17, 1921
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John Harvey Reynolds
Aug 26, 1921
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John T. Foley
Oct 26, 1921
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Jesse R. Johnson Nov 21, 1921
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John O'Toole Feb 17, 1922
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Joseph William Floyd
May 17, 1922
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Charles O. Sterner Jun 25, 1922
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Howell J. Lynch
Jul 6, 1922
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Howard Henry Fisher
Jul 22, 1922
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Cary Dorsey Freeman Jul 22, 1922
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Ernest George Wiggins
Aug 6, 1922
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Glenn Henry Price Sep 3, 1922
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Grover C. Todd Sep 3, 1922
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Joseph Owen
Sep 6, 1922
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John Van Waters
Oct 4, 1922
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Robert E. Duff, Sr. Dec 9, 1922
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Elmer Guy Cole
Dec 15, 1922
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Atha Carter
Dec 24, 1922
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Burdette M. Huffaker Jan 12, 1923
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Jesse Leroy Youmans
Apr 3, 1923
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Robert G. Anderson Apr 16, 1923
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George H. Stewart
Nov 11, 1923
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William B. Saylor
Feb 24, 1924
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Bert R. McMichael May 23, 1924
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Horatio J. Stetson
Jun 29, 1924
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Daniel S. Cleveland Jul 10, 1924
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Theodore Harrison Chunn Nov 19, 1924
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William Paul Spigener Dec 9, 1924
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Malcolm Malachi Day
Feb 14, 1925
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James Edmund Bowdoin
Feb 16, 1925
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William Edwin Collins
Mar 6, 1925
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Harold Vincent Mooring
Apr 1, 1925
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Clyde L. Taylor
May 11, 1925
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William Frank Porter
Jun 20, 1925
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John M. Mulcahy
Sep 3, 1925
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Murdock E. Murray
Oct 20, 1925
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Dallas Adelbert Roberts Jan 20, 1926
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Remus W. Buckner May 12, 1926
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Thomas Bright Lankford May 26, 1926
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Vaughn Eccles Grant Jun 1, 1926
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George Hamilton Wentworth Nov 24, 1926
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Jacob P. Brandt
Dec 9, 1926
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Walter Chapman Mobray Dec 9, 1926
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Horace Thorwaldson
Dec 19, 1926
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George W. Dykeman Jan 14, 1927
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 19-E
Others Who Wore This Badge
58 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Prohibition Unit are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
