Charles Busby Smith
Agency patch
Chief Deputy Sheriff

Charles Busby Smith

Felonious
End of Watch January 12, 1981
Age 29
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
The Vigil Panel 123 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Smith was shot and killed while attempting to serve a lunacy warrant. Chief Deputy Smith and the sheriff were serving the warrant to a 48-year-old male at his home near Kilmichael, Mississippi, when he opened fire on them, killing the deputy and seriously wounding the sheriff. The suspect was apprehended about two miles from his house, shortly after the shooting. He was later convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death but was later re-sentenced to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2006. Chief Deputy Smith had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for four years and had previously been a Vaiden, Mississippi, police officer.

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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.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Smith gave the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Winona community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Sheriff Smith.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Winona, Montgomery County, MS
Platform Identity mcso.montgomery.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 12, 1981
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 29
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 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 1981, 126 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 39th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Charles was 29. 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. Charles had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% 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 rifle, in 5.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded

Chief Deputy Sheriff Charles Busby Smith

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office · End of Watch January 12, 1981

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 22-W

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Montgomery County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.

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