In the summer of 1918, a confrontation outside a bunkhouse led to the death of Yavapai County Sheriff James Lowry, the second sheriff in the department's history to be killed in the line of duty. On July 17th of that year, Lowry, accompanied by Officer Wright, approached a gathering of twelve to fifteen men with the intention of taking Porfirio Hernandez into custody.
As Officer Wright identified Hernandez in the crowd and instructed him to come along, another individual in the group
encouraged Hernandez to resist arrest. At that moment, Hernandez drew a. 32 Savage automatic revolver and began shooting at Sheriff Lowry. It is believed that the first three shots struck Lowry in his chest and stomach, causing him to double over and fall to the ground. Despite his injuries, Lowry managed to draw his own weapon and fire twice at Hernandez, but both shots missed their mark.
Following the shooting, Porfirio Hernandez fled the scene, circling the building. Officer Wright, who had only three cartridges in his revolver, fired all of them at the fleeing man. Two days later, on July 19, 1918, the pursuit of Hernandez came to a decisive end. Deputy Sheriff Frank Dickinson of Coconino County was riding along a road in search of cattle when he encountered a man on horseback heading east. The man, who appeared highly nervous and kept his hand near the. 32 Savage automatic pistol he was carrying, claimed to be looking for his sheep and expressed interest in buying a horse.
In a calculated move to distract the tense rider, Deputy Dickinson pointed and asked if a nearby animal was a wolf. As Hernandez turned to look, Dickinson dismounted, drew his. 38 Colt, and ordered him to raise his hands. Hernandez responded by drawing his own weapon and opening fire. Dickinson returned fire, striking Hernandez in the chest. As Hernandez fell, he fired four more shots, all of which went wild. Porfirio Hernandez died at the scene.
