In the summer of 1920, a domestic disturbance in the small community of Kellerman, Alabama, would tragically cut short the life of a dedicated lawman. Deputy Sheriff John C. Thrower, a 47-year-old White/Caucasian male serving with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, responded to a call for help on August 17th of that year, a decision that would prove to be his last.
A woman, whose identity has been lost to the passage of time, had sought out the deputy, pleading for his assistance in resolving a dispute at her home.
Accompanied by the woman, Deputy Thrower made his way to the residence, likely anticipating a tense but manageable situation. As they arrived, however, the scenario escalated with shocking swiftness. A man, who was inside the house, opened fire without warning. A single bullet struck Deputy Thrower in the head, and he fell, his life extinguished in an instant. The shooter, his violent act committed, vanished from the scene, disappearing into the annals of history.
The sudden and brutal nature of Deputy Thrower's death left a lasting scar on the community and his family. The perpetrator of this heinous crime was never captured, leaving a void of unanswered questions and a sense of justice unfulfilled. The tragic story of Deputy Sheriff John C. Thrower serves as a somber reminder of the dangers faced by those who wear the badge, and the ultimate sacrifice they are sometimes called upon to make. His brother, Officer Will Thrower of the Tuscaloosa Police Department, had also been killed in the line of duty years earlier, compounding the family's profound loss.
