In the fading light of a Nashville evening, the life of Patrolman Benjamin F. Dowell, a 27-year-old male, was brought to a sudden and violent end on Monday, December 7, 1903. While standing at his post awaiting his relief, he was approached by two men. One of the individuals was known to Patrolman Dowell, as he had previously arrested both the man and his sister.
Without warning, the man he had previously arrested drew a revolver and fired a single shot, striking Dowell in the stomach.
Despite the grievous wound, the patrolman managed to draw his own weapon and return fire, hitting his assailant in the arm. The sound of gunshots shattered the quiet evening, and soon after, help arrived for the fallen officer.
Patrolman Dowell was rushed to a nearby hospital, but the severity of his injury proved to be fatal. After serving on the Nashville City Police Department for two years, his watch had tragically ended. He left behind a wife who was expecting their first child.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the suspect was taken into custody. The wheels of justice turned, and the man who fired the fatal shot was subsequently convicted of murder. On April 13, 1905, nearly a year and a half after he took the life of Patrolman Dowell, the convicted killer was executed for his crime.
