In the early morning hours of August 19, 1920, a young Black police officer named Thomas D. Hudson was walking his beat on West Ninth Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. At 26 years old and with just over a year of service with the Little Rock Police Department, the U.S. Army veteran was making his rounds when he happened upon a man in the act of burglarizing a local cafe.
The scene quickly turned confrontational as Officer Hudson ordered the man to stop and raise his hands.
Instead of surrendering, the suspect drew a weapon and opened fire on the young officer. Despite being struck, Officer Hudson managed to return fire, his own shots finding their mark and fatally wounding the man who had shot him.
Tragically, the exchange of gunfire had already sealed Officer Hudson's fate. He succumbed to his injuries approximately three hours after being shot, leaving behind his wife. In the aftermath, it was noted that he was the first Black officer in the history of the Little Rock Police Department to be killed in the line of duty. The suspect, having been killed by Officer Hudson during the confrontation, was the only individual involved, and consequently, no arrests were made in connection with the officer's death.
