On a Sunday evening in Etowah County, Alabama, 30-year-old male Auxiliary Trooper Ormand Franklin Watkins was conducting a traffic stop on Sibert Road on April 11, 1971. He had only been with the Alabama Department of Public Safety for six months. During the stop, it was determined that the male driver was intoxicated. A struggle ensued, and the driver managed to gain control of Trooper Watkins' service weapon.
The driver then fatally shot Trooper Watkins and also wounded a second trooper who was present at the scene. The man responsible for Trooper Watkins' death was later apprehended, convicted, and sentenced to 30 years in prison for his crimes.
Despite the 30-year sentence, the convicted killer served only 10 years before being pardoned by Governor George Wallace. At the time of his death, Trooper Watkins was survived by his wife and their one-week-old child. His name is included on the Etowah County Law Enforcement Memorial located at the Etowah County Courthouse.
