In the summer of 1900, a dedicated Memphis Police Detective named Joseph A. Perkins, a 78-year-old male, found himself in a fatal confrontation. On July 15th, he and his partner were tasked with apprehending a suspect wanted for murder in Marshall County, Mississippi. The suspect was reportedly hiding in a room on McLemore Avenue, near Cummings Street.
As the two officers closed in, they formulated a plan to corner the fugitive.
Detective Perkins made the decision to enter the establishment where the suspect was concealed, while his partner strategically positioned himself to cover a rear window, cutting off a potential escape route. Perkins entered the room where the wanted man was hiding, and in that tense moment, the suspect opened fire, striking the veteran officer. Despite his grievous injury, Detective Perkins managed to return fire, though his shots did not find their mark.
Hearing the gunfire erupt, Perkins's partner moved to engage the suspect. The partner confronted the armed man and, in the ensuing exchange, shot and killed him. The immediate threat was neutralized, but the cost was devastatingly high. Detective Perkins was gravely wounded and was taken to his home for medical attention.
Tragically, two days after the shooting, on July 17, 1900, Detective Joseph A. Perkins succumbed to his injuries. A man who had served his community for two years with the Memphis Police Department and seven years with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, and who was also a Union veteran of the Civil War, had made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. He was survived by his wife and eight children.
