In the early morning hours of June 19, 1908, in Latonia, Kentucky, Patrolman Frank Duncan, a 59-year-old respected officer of the Latonia Police Department, entered the saloon of his longtime friend, Scott W. 'Doc' Hopkins. Duncan, a married father of ten who had joined the force around 1905 after working as a house painter, was known in the community as a kind and efficient officer.
On this particular night, it's believed he intended to enforce the midnight closing time for saloons, a point of contention in the community following a push for stricter liquor law enforcement by the Latonia Law and Order League.
An argument erupted between the two old friends, reportedly concerning Hopkins serving alcohol to Duncan's son. The confrontation escalated tragically when Hopkins retrieved a Colt. 41 caliber revolver from beneath the bar and fired at Patrolman Duncan five times. The first shot proved fatal, striking him in the chest, with another hitting the side of his head. Dr. T. B. Winnes was summoned, but Duncan was deceased before he arrived. In the immediate aftermath, Duncan's own pistol was found cocked and lying near his hand on the floor, though a witness who first entered the bar after the shooting stated it was not there initially.
Hopkins barricaded himself upstairs as news of the shooting spread, drawing an angry mob of about 500 people who sought to lynch him. The Latonia Police Chief and his officers responded to the scene and managed to control the crowd. A coroner's inquest later determined the murder to be unjustified and unprovoked. Hopkins was arrested, and he expressed regret over killing his friend, claiming he acted because he knew Duncan was a good marksman and feared he would draw his weapon.
Despite the initial outcry for justice, the legal proceedings against Hopkins faltered. Duncan's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, but the case faced numerous delays. A key witness in the criminal case reportedly failed to appear after receiving death threats. Ultimately, in December 1912, both the criminal and civil cases against Scott W. 'Doc' Hopkins were dismissed, leaving the death of Patrolman Frank Duncan unresolved in the eyes of the law. His remains were taken to Glencoe, Kentucky, where a large procession of friends and neighbors accompanied him to his final resting place in the Ellis Family Cemetery.
