In the summer of 1929, a male lawman's life was tragically cut short in the line of duty. On Sunday, July 7, 1929, Deputy Sheriff E. R. Marsh of the Ouachita County Sheriff's Office was killed by gunfire. The incident unfolded when Deputy Marsh and two of his colleagues went to Chidester, a small town near Camden, to apprehend a man suspected of bootlegging.
After the deputies placed the suspect under arrest, he requested permission to clean himself up. However, the man used this as an opportunity to flee on foot. Deputy Marsh pursued the fleeing suspect and successfully apprehended him, returning him to the residence where the initial arrest took place. It was during this time that a struggle ensued between the deputy and the suspect.
In the course of the physical altercation, the suspect managed to gain control of Deputy Marsh's service weapon. The suspect then fatally shot the deputy with his own handgun. Immediately following the shooting of Deputy Marsh, the other deputies who were present at the scene returned fire, killing the suspect. No arrests were made as the sole suspect was killed at the scene.
