In the line of duty, Deputy Constable Thomas M. Vaughn, a 43-year-old male, met a tragic and untimely end on Saturday, May 16, 1903, in Douglas, Arizona. On that fateful day, he and a constable were attempting to serve a warrant on a suspect.
Their search for the wanted man led them to a woman's hat shop. As the two lawmen approached the individual, he unexpectedly produced a firearm and began shooting.
In the ensuing chaos, the constable was wounded, and Deputy Constable Vaughn was fatally struck by the gunfire. He had served with the Douglas Police Department for five years.
Following the shooting, the wounded constable managed to track the suspect. In July of 1903, the constable located the man who had killed his partner and, in a final confrontation, shot and killed him. Deputy Constable Vaughn was survived by his wife.
