In the summer of 1937, the life of Patrolman Jimmy Yocum, a 57-year-old White male, was cut short in the line of duty in El Dorado, Arkansas. On Wednesday, July 21, 1937, Yocum, a four-year veteran of the El Dorado Police Department, responded to a call involving two suspects who had just robbed a pharmacy at the intersection of South Washington Street and Hillsboro Street.
The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle and were spotted by another officer who pursued them.
The chase led them off the Magnolia Highway and onto a country road. It was there that Officer Yocum and other summoned officers, including Union County deputies, located the getaway car with the two culprits inside. As the officers attempted to apprehend the individuals, the passenger exited the vehicle and opened fire. A bullet struck Patrolman Yocum in the chest, inflicting a fatal wound.
In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, the shooter was wounded, and both suspects were taken into custody. The man who fired the fatal shot was later convicted of Officer Yocum's murder and sentenced to death. He was executed at the Arkansas Department of Correction Tucker Farm Unit on September 3, 1937. The second suspect was found guilty of second-degree murder and received a five-year prison sentence. Patrolman Yocum was survived by his wife.
