Altus PD building memorial for first black officer, only officer killed in line of duty
Altus PD building memorial for first black officer, only officer killed in line of duty By Will Hutchison | February 23, 2021 at 5:15 PM CST - Updated February 23 at 5:19 PM
ALTUS, Okla. (TNN) - Altus Police are working to build a memorial for a man who was the first black officer in department history and is still the only officer ever killed in the line of duty in Altus.
On January 7, 1934, Officer John Henry Hill was on his way to a Masons meeting in Altus.
“He encountered two men who were heavily intoxicated and at that time, Altus was segregated, and they were in the black portion of town. For his safety, he patted them down, but they did not have weapons at that time. He ordered them to leave the area because he thought they were going to cause trouble,” said Detective Devin Dickerson.