In the autumn of 1919, a shadow fell over the city of Montgomery, Alabama, with the death of one of its own. George Luther Berrey, a 45-year-old male officer with the Montgomery Police Department, lost his life in the line of duty on Sunday, October 19th. The day took a tragic turn when Officer Berrey and a fellow officer attempted to serve a warrant for burglary.
As they approached the suspect, the man took flight, turning to fire a pistol indiscriminately behind him as he fled.
A single bullet found its mark, striking Officer Berrey. Despite being wounded, he managed to return fire at the fleeing man. However, the injury was grave, and he would succumb to his wound an hour later at a local hospital. He was survived by his wife and child.
The search for the man who had taken Officer Berrey's life began immediately. Within hours, law enforcement located the suspect at a house in the city. As officers moved in to make the arrest, a struggle ensued. In the ensuing scuffle, the suspect was fatally shot by the police.
Tragically, the Berrey family was no stranger to such loss. Nine years earlier, on October 5, 1910, Officer Berrey's brother, Officer Walter Berrey, had also been shot and killed in the line of duty while serving with the Montgomery Police Department.
