Motorcycle Officer Frank S. Archer

Frank S. Archer

Motorcycle Officer Frank Archer succumbed to gunshot wounds he received from a man who was accosting a couple who were parked in their car on Admiral Boulevard and Troost Avenue on October 15, 1920.

The subject approached the couple and demanded that they take him to a certain place. As the man tried to explain to the suspect that he was not a taxi service, Officer Archer pulled up and asked if there was a problem. The suspect drew a revolver and shot him in his left side. He then shot him in his right arm as he drew his revolver. Realizing he was defenseless, Officer Archer ran from the scene.

As the suspect chased him, the man in the car and a pedestrian who witnessed the incident chased the suspect. They tackled him a short distance away as Officer Archer collapsed. At the same time, they saw another nearby motorcycle officer and fired the suspect's gun; they managed to take it from him to get his attention. The second officer and the other two managed to subdue the suspect.

Patrolman Archer died from his wounds three days later.

The 51-year-old suspect had a long criminal record that dated back 35 years. He had served prison terms in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma for several different crimes, including a murder for which he was convicted in Oklahoma in 1900. He blamed the use of drugs for every crime he ever committed. The suspect was convicted of Patrolman Archer's murder and sentenced to life. He died in prison in 1940.

Patrolman Archer was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Kansas City Police Department for five months. He was survived by his wife, mother, and father.