In the heart of a Birmingham, Alabama winter, the life of Forest J. Harris, a White male police officer, was irrevocably altered. On the night of January 30, 1935, Officer Harris responded to a robbery in progress at a local nightclub. In an ensuing exchange of gunfire with the suspects, he sustained critical injuries. For over a week, he fought for his life, but ultimately succumbed to his wounds on February 8, 1935.
The investigation into the shooting of Officer Harris led to the
apprehension of two suspects, Wesley Vincent and Gus C. Jones. The two men were subsequently tried for the robbery and the murder of the police officer. The evidence presented during the trial led to their conviction, and both were sentenced to death for their roles in the crime that ended the life of Officer Harris.
While awaiting his fate on death row, Gus C. Jones took his own life. The remaining suspect, 20-year-old Wesley Vincent, also a White male, faced the full extent of the law. On June 12, 1936, Wesley Vincent was executed for the murder of Police Officer Forest J. Harris.
