Two Garvin County sheriff’s deputies killed in the line of duty more than 75 years ago were honored Monday with the dedication of a monument at the county courthouse memorializing their sacrifice.
“Today’s ceremony is a solemn reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day. It’s a reminder of the courage it takes to put on a uniform and step into harm’s way for the greater good,” Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullett said during Monday’s dedication.
The stone monument, placed on the southwest side of the courthouse, near the main annex entrance, bears the names of Garvin County deputies Alfred Alonzo “Lon” Pearson and William W. Paul, as well as their February 1947 “End of Watch” dates.
The only two Garvin County deputy sheriffs to be killed in the line of duty, Pearson and Paul died after being shot by a man they were escorting back to the courthouse.
After a moment of silence in their memory during Monday’s ceremony, Sheriff Mullett recounted details of the incident from Feb. 12, 1947. That day the Garvin County Sheriff’s office had received a request from the sheriff in Duncan to detain local resident J.W. Beasley, 23, in connection to a Stephens County investigation. Deputies Pearson and Paul picked up Clarence Mays, a retired farmer from Maysville, who the deputies hoped could help them identify Beasley, and began trying to locate the man.
Local newspaper accounts at the time reported after the shooting that Deputy Paul, who was unable to speak due to his injuries but made a written statement at the hospital before his death, said they had located Beasley and were escorting him to the courthouse when the shooting occurred. Beasley, who was riding a motorcycle, had stopped on the side of State Highway 19 west of Pauls Valley, approached the officers’ car and asked to borrow pliers to work on the motorcycle. While Paul was retrieving the pliers, Beasley shot both deputies and Mays, and then fled the scene.
Paul was able to get the attention of two passing motorists, who transported them to a local hospital. Pearson died before reaching the hospital and Paul died from his injuries three days later.
Beasley was later shot and killed by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer after a lengthy foot chase in which Beasley pulled a sawed-off shotgun on the officer.
Deputy Pearson, 58, was survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters. Deputy Paul, 40, was survived by his wife and two sons.
“Each name engraved in this memorial represents a life dedicated to serving and protecting the people of Garvin County. They were more than just deputies, they were beloved members of our community, beloved family members, friends and colleagues,” Mullett said. “Behind every fallen deputy is a family that is forever changed by their loss.”
Four generations of the Pearson and Paul families gathered to witness the unveiling and dedication Monday, including sons and daughters-in-law, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the two men.
Deana Barbour, Lon Pearson’s great-granddaughter, said she and her sister grew up hearing the story, but not in as much detail as she heard during Monday’s ceremony.
“I thought it was really cool that they are doing something this big to honor something that happened so long ago,” Barbour said.
For Lon Pearson’s great-grandson Michah Pearson, Monday’s dedication ceremony was an opportunity to forge a deeper connection with his heritage.
“For me, it was nice to get connected to that story I’d heard about. It connected me to the newspaper stories and the last name,” Pearson said. “So, for me, I feel like know my great grandfather better than I ever did before.”
The memorial marker for fallen deputies was first proposed earlier this year by Garvin County Deputy Jeff Jarman, who is the third generation of his own family to serve in law enforcement in Garvin County. Jarman said his grandfather was a Pauls Valley police officer in 1947 when Pearson and Paul were killed, and he also remembers hearing the story of their sacrifice as he was growing up.
On Jarman’s suggestion, the Sheriff’s Office began working to make the monument a reality in February, securing permission from county commissioners to place the memorial stone on the courthouse grounds and raising funds to pay for the project.
Donors who contributed to making the memorial possible include Carl Dutton from Dutton Trust, Steve Combes, Walker Fire Department, Pauls Valley National Bank, First United Bank, Everett Plummer, Ronald Pearson, Bill Chaffin, Robin Sontag, Ryan Rennie, Jones Monuments, Stephen Paul, Dave Johnson and Laura McClain.
