On August 12, 1908, 31-year-old Police Officer Zeno Fults, a male officer with the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, was killed in the line of duty while attempting to apprehend a fugitive. Officer Fults and his partner, Officer Hart, had received information regarding the location of a suspect named John Thornton, who was wanted for shooting his brother-in-law.
Acting on this intelligence, the officers proceeded to a residence located at 2308 Chestnut Street in Saint Louis, Missouri, where the suspect was believed to be hiding.
Upon arrival at the scene, the officers split up to cover the exits, with Officer Hart approaching the front of the house and Officer Fults covering the rear. As Officer Fults opened the back door to gain entry, he was immediately met with gunfire from the suspect inside. The initial volley struck Fults in the arm, but he managed to return fire, striking Thornton three times. Despite being wounded, the suspect continued to fire, delivering a fatal gunshot that struck Officer Fults, ending his life.
Thornton managed to escape the immediate scene despite his injuries but was later tracked down and captured at his father's residence. Following his arrest, he was tried and convicted for the murder of Officer Fults. Thornton was sentenced to life in prison for the crime. However, after serving approximately eleven years of his sentence, he was granted a pardon by Governor Fred D. Gardner on November 27, 1919. Officer Fults was survived by his wife and two sons.
