On a tragic day in Grand Ronde, Oregon, September 3, 1922, the life of Glenn Henry Price was cut short in a violent confrontation. A male Prohibition Agent, Price had only recently joined the Prohibition Unit on February 15, 1922, earning an annual salary of $1,800. He and his fellow agent, Grover Todd, were in the small community to apprehend a known bootlegger named Phillip Warren.
The operation to bring Warren into custody did not go as planned.
During the initial attempt to arrest him, Warren managed to elude the agents and made a desperate escape. What followed was a shocking escalation of violence. Instead of fleeing, Warren armed himself with a rifle and returned to where the agents were. Without warning, he opened fire on both Price and Todd, fatally wounding them. The brazen act sent shockwaves through the community and sparked an immediate and intensive manhunt for the escaped suspect.
Born in Pulaski City, Virginia, Glenn Henry Price was a recent arrival to the Oregon area. He was survived by his wife, who resided in Portland. His promising career in law enforcement was brought to an abrupt and violent end by the very lawlessness he was sworn to combat.
Following the cold-blooded murder of the two federal agents, law enforcement dedicated significant resources to tracking down Phillip Warren. Their efforts paid off, and Warren was eventually captured. He was subsequently charged with murder under state law, facing justice for the deaths of Agents Price and Todd. The incident stood as a stark and somber reminder of the dangers faced by those enforcing the controversial Prohibition laws of the era.
