Deputy Wants To Honor Oklahoma Sheriff Killed Over A Century Ago

When Oklahoma City was transitioning from the old Wild West, George Washington Garrison was the sheriff in town. His work to keep the peace then is evident in his own handwriting, on the pages of jail ledgers from 1905.

“You see all the smudges and the oils and fingerprints on the pages and stuff because it was dirty business,” said Deputy Bradley Wynn, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The ledgers are stacked in Wynn’s office in the basement of the jail. He’s been working to rediscover the history of law enforcement in Oklahoma. He’s already written about the area’s past.

7/3/2015 Related Story: OCSO Deputy Rediscovers History Of Law Enforcement

“These are the people that were important to the development of our town,” he explained.

Scanning through the stories of our past led him to the cemetery where Garrison was laid to rest in 1908. Records show he was murdered in a hay field shootout by a suspect he was trying to arrest. He was the first sheriff to be killed in the line of duty, according to Wynn.

Now more than 100 years later, the beloved leader lies in an unmarked grave.

“To come to the actual location or to I guess, meet him for the first time, kind of puts things into perspective and it’s touching to me because I take history very personal,” Wynn said.

Perhaps it's personal in the present day because this a tragedy we're hearing about all too often - attacks on law enforcement nationwide.

“We want to honor this man and in turn be honoring other law enforcement people as well,” he told News 9.

So Wynn hopes to raise money for a proper marker, making Garrison's remembrance his mission.

“We want to create something here that will honor this man, both his duty and the man that he was for the city and the county. He was very respected at that time. He shall not be forgotten,” said Wynn.

Garrison's killer was caught and sentenced to death about a year after the murder. Garrison's son was the assistant executioner.

If you want more information about how to help with the new marker, contact Wynn through the Facebook page ‘Badge & Brass: The Untold Story of the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.’