On a June day in 1902, in the town of Roan Mountain, located in Carter County, Tennessee, a lawman's life was tragically cut short. Policeman James Ellis, a Caucasian male officer with the Elk Park Police Department in neighboring North Carolina, was shot and killed. The incident occurred at a cafe just over the state line.
The confrontation arose with a man whom Ellis had previously arrested for disorderly conduct.
An argument between the two men escalated, culminating in the fatal shooting of Policeman Ellis. Despite being wounded, Ellis managed to return fire and injure his attacker.
The man responsible for Ellis's death was subsequently apprehended and faced legal proceedings in Carter County. He was convicted of murder for the death of the law enforcement officer. Not long after his conviction, the assailant died while incarcerated. While it is known that James Ellis was a male, his exact age at the time of his death is not readily available in the records of the event.
