In the quiet afternoon of October 21, 1963, in Kingman, Arizona, Mohave County Sheriff Robert Mendum Tarr, a 52-year-old man, met a violent end that would highlight the unpredictable dangers faced by law enforcement. His day took a fatal turn when he responded to a call for assistance from an agricultural inspection station. Two men, recently released from prisons, had been stopped in a stolen car, and their lack of proper vehicle documentation had aroused suspicion.
Upon his arrival,
Sheriff Tarr approached the vehicle and requested one of the men to open the trunk. In a sudden, brutal moment, one of the ex-convicts produced a. 38 caliber handgun and fired at the sheriff. Though wounded, Tarr displayed immense bravery, managing to draw his own weapon and return fire. He discharged four rounds, striking his assailant twice before he succumbed to his injuries.
The exchange of gunfire left both Sheriff Tarr and one of his assailants dead at the scene. The second suspect involved in the incident was apprehended. An investigation into the events leading to the tragic confrontation ensued, with the surviving suspect facing charges related to the stolen vehicle and the circumstances of the deadly shootout. Sheriff Tarr, a veteran of World War II with a long and respected career in law enforcement, was survived by his wife and nine children.
