Lemule Franklin 'Lem' McPherson, a 51-year-old African American man, served the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas, as a police officer. His time in law enforcement, however, was tragically cut short on the evening of April 28, 1928. While patrolling the area known as Tin Cup, a historically Black section of East Fayetteville, Officer McPherson was ambushed.
He was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun, his life taken in a sudden act of violence.
The man behind the attack was identified as Everett 'Eb' Williams. Williams harbored a personal grudge against McPherson and had been actively seeking him out. His resentment had festered, leading him to wait for an opportunity to confront the officer. Having been recently released from a nine-month prison sentence, Williams was a man with a score to settle. After the shooting, he fled the scene, disappearing into the night.
The manhunt for Williams did not last long. He was apprehended the very next day and swiftly charged with the murder of Officer McPherson. The legal process moved quickly, and just ten days after the fatal shooting, Williams was convicted of second-degree murder. For his crime, he was sentenced to serve 21 years in prison. Officer McPherson, who had been with the Fayetteville Police Department for two years, was survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons.
