Sheriff
 
Fred Oscar Dawes
 
Vernon County Sheriff's Department
 
End of Watch: Thursday, July 17, 1919
 
Age: 44
 
DOB: July 15, 1875
 
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 6 months
 
Cause of death: Gunfire, .32 caliber
 
Suspect information: Shot & killed
 
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Sheriff Fred Dawes was shot and killed by a suspect he had just arrested for stealing bags of feed from the Mead Grain Company in Nevada, Missouri. Sheriff Dawes was approached by the grain company owner, A. G. Sullivan, who had had several sacks of feed stolen. The owner had discovered three sacks of feed sitting in front of the building. Sheriff Dawes, Sullivan and police officers Marshall and Catherwood waited for the suspected thief to return. When a man appeared at about 2200 hours, they took him into custody and took him to the grain company office. Sheriff Dawes turned his back on the suspect to put a large number of keys he had discovered in the suspect's pocket onto a table. As Sheriff Dawes turned back, the suspect, J.S. "Lee" McCormick, shot him in the heart with a .32-caliber revolver he had concealed on his person.

The suspect then engaged in a running gun battle with officers Marshall and Catherwood. The suspect was shot four times by Officer Marshall and died at the jail several hours later of his injuries.

Sheriff Dawes had been served with the Vernon County Sheriff's Department for 2 1/2 years. He was survived by his wife, Fronie C., three daughters, Margaret, Irene and Ella Mae, and a son, Loren. Vernon County Coroner Brown was appointed temporarily to the fill the position of sheriff. Thereafter, Sheriff Dawes wife, Sophronia "Fronie" Dawes was appointed to finish out her husband's term as sheriff. Interred: Newton Burial Park, Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri.