Constable George M. Faulkner

George M. Faulkner

Constable George Faulkner was shot and killed by one of two bootlegging suspects. Constable Faulkner and another deputy were staking out a liquor still and engaged in a shootout with the suspects when the suspects noticed they were watching their still.

Although one of the suspects admitted to shooting at the deputies, the trial was a difficult case for the jury to decide. If the suspects killed Constable Faulkner, then they deserved the electric chair. Constable Faulkner was shot in the back of the head. The suspects attorney, the first woman to ever plead a case in Union County, convinced the jury that the constable may have been shot by the other deputy since he was fireing at the suspects from behind the constable and the suspects were shooting at the constable who was facing them.

Witnesses testified that the suspects stated that they would kill anyone who interfered with their liquor still operation. The prosecution used this statement to satisfy the jury that the suspects had conspired to kill the deputies and were at least responsible for Constable Faulkner's death indirectly.

Both suspects were convicted of second degree murder. The suspect who fired at Constable Faulkner was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The other suspect was sentenced to 10 to 15 years in prison.

He had served with the agency for 18 months and was survived by his wife and seven children.