In the early summer of 1901, a male law enforcement officer named David Branham, serving as a Deputy Sheriff for the Whitley County Sheriff's Office, met a violent and untimely end in Williamsburg, Kentucky. His death occurred in the line of duty as he and another officer confronted a man who had been causing terror among the local citizens.
On that fateful day, June 8th, Deputy Branham, alongside Chief Silas Wilder of the Corbin Police Department, attempted to apprehend the menacing
individual. When Deputy Branham commanded the man to surrender, the situation escalated dramatically. The suspect, whose identity is not clearly recorded in historical accounts, responded not with compliance but with deadly force, firing a weapon at the officers.
The shot fired by the suspect struck Deputy Branham, killing him instantly at the scene. In the ensuing chaos, the assailant also managed to shoot and mortally wound Chief Wilder. Despite suffering from a fatal injury, Chief Wilder demonstrated immense bravery. He returned fire, striking and killing the suspect, thus ending the immediate threat to the community. Chief Wilder succumbed to his injuries the following day, leaving two law enforcement officers dead and a community in mourning. The suspect was killed on the scene and therefore was never arrested or stood trial.
