In the late summer of 1931, the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas, was rocked by a violent shootout that claimed the lives of two of its own police officers. Patrolman Ralph Howard, a 53-year-old veteran of the Fort Smith Police Department, was one of the officers who tragically lost his life in the line of duty. He had served the community for two decades.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, September 2, 1931, when Patrolman Howard and Captain William Bourland located three suspects who were
wanted for an armed robbery of a store in the nearby town of Spiro, Oklahoma. A pursuit began, with the officers chasing the suspects' vehicle down Spiro Highway and onto Towson Avenue. Near South Y Street, the officers managed to run the suspects' car off the road.
A fierce gun battle erupted between the officers and the three armed men. In the exchange of fire, both Captain Bourland and Patrolman Howard were struck, as were all three of the suspects. Captain Bourland suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head and two to the chest and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Patrolman Howard was hit in the neck, chest, and both hands. Despite the grievousness of his injuries, he clung to life for two more days before succumbing to his wounds.
One of the robbery suspects died at the scene of the shootout. The two surviving suspects were taken into custody. Both were subsequently sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the deadly confrontation. However, the sentence of one of the suspects was later commuted, and he was eventually paroled. At the time of his death, Patrolman Howard was survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter.
