On the night of January 1, 1943, in Miami, Arizona, a public dance at the Elks Plaza took a tragic turn, forever altering the lives of many. Special Police Officer George Edward Hicks, a 38-year-old White male, was on duty, tasked with maintaining order at the event. He was a husband and a father to three children.
During the dance, Officer Hicks identified an intoxicated man causing a disturbance and proceeded to escort him from the venue.
As he struggled with the disruptive individual, the man's 22-year-old brother approached them from behind. In a sudden and violent act, the younger brother seized Officer Hicks'. 45 caliber service weapon from its holster. He then fired the gun, striking Officer Hicks in the chest. The single gunshot proved to be fatal for the officer and also resulted in injuries to two other bystanders at the dance.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the two brothers fled the Elks Plaza. However, their freedom was short-lived as law enforcement quickly apprehended them. The man Officer Hicks had initially tried to remove from the dance was subsequently convicted of disorderly conduct and received a sentence of six months in jail. His brother, the man who fired the fatal shot, faced a much more severe penalty. He pleaded guilty to the charge of murder and was sentenced to life in prison for the death of Officer George Edward Hicks.
