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Sam P Dobyns

Case from Birmingham, AL dated Sep 19, 1920

Victim Details

Sam P Dobyns

Male

White / Caucasian

Birmingham

AL

1920-09-19

52

Sam

P Dobyns

07/16/2026

Case Description

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Sam P. Dobyns, a 52- to 53-year-old White male Birmingham police officer, was killed on September 19, 1920, in Birmingham, Alabama, when what should have been a law-enforcement raid turned suddenly and fatally violent. The surviving online accounts agree on the broad shape of the night: Dobyns was taking part in a raid on a gambling house when gunfire broke out and he was shot. The scene reads like one of those tense early-20th-century police actions where the danger was already in the room befo ...
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  • Officer Sam P. Dobyns

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    Forum Posts (3)

    I'm always struck by the bravery shown by officers like Sam P. Dobyns. It's hard to imagine the leve... ...Read More
    04/19/2023
    I've been reading about the tragic incident involving Officer Sam P. Dobyns, and it got me thinking ... ...Read More
    04/18/2023
    I recently stumbled upon the tragic case of Officer Sam P. Dobyns, and I can't stop thinking about h... ...Read More
    03/14/2023
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