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Deputy Sheriff

James McMahan

Dallas County Sheriff's Department — Dallas, TX
Felonious
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch January 16, 1871
Age 27
Tour of Duty
The Vigil Panel 4 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 19

Incident

Deputy James McMahan and Deputy Charles Nichols were shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect. While the officers attempted to handcuff him he produced a handgun and shot both officers.

The suspect was one of two brothers, John Younger, known as the Younger Gang who shot and killed Deputy Edwin Daniels, of the St. Clair County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department, on March 17, 1874. The brother who murdered Deputy Nichols and Deputy McMahan was also shot and killed in the shootout known as the Roscoe Gunfight. The Younger Gang was also connected to the death of Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Officer Frank West in 1886 by the husband of Bell Starr, an accomplice of the Younger Gang.

Deputy McMahan had served with the agency for one day.

The suspect was one of two brothers, John Younger, known as the Younger Gang who shot and killed Deputy Edwin Daniels, of the St. Clair County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department, on March 17, 1874. The brother who murdered Deputy Nichols and Deputy McMahan was also shot and killed in the shootout known as the Roscoe Gunfight. The Younger Gang was also connected to the death of Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Officer Frank West in 1886 by the husband of Bell Starr, an accomplice of the Younger Gang.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and is buried in Pioneer Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

155 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff McMahan served with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Dallas County Sheriff's Department
Type Sheriff's Office
Location Dallas, Dallas County, TX
Platform Identity dcso.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1871
Tour of Duty
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James 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.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1871, 33 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 152nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 27. 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. James had served 0 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 handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Dallas County Sheriff's Department has 20 officers remembered here, James among them.

Across the years

Deputy Sheriff James McMahan

Dallas County Sheriff's Department · End of Watch January 16, 1871

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 13-W

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