Rex A. Sanford

In the pre-dawn hours of a Thursday in Sylacauga, Alabama, a routine patrol took a fatal turn, ending the life of a young police officer. On September 18, 1952, Officer Rex A. Sanford, a 26-year-old male, was shot and killed while on duty. He had served on the Sylacauga Police Department for only a year.

The incident unfolded at approximately 4:00 a.m. in the parking lot of a local drive-in. Officer Sanford and his partner observed a man in a vehicle discard a pistol. As the two officers ...