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The mood has been somber over the last few weeks in Cherokee County, as the community has grappled with the loss of a good man who bravely dedicated his life to protecting and serving the public.
On June 30, Transport Detention Officer Francisco Flattes became only the eighth law enforcement officer to be killed while on the job in Cherokee County. That lists stretches all the way back to 1921, and his death was the first in 72 years. Flattes deserves all the respect he has been shown, and more, as now his family must deal with the even harder part – learning how to live without him.
Each of the officers who lost their lives over the years deserves to be remembered. So the Cherokee Scout checked our archives to learn more about the eight heroes, starting with the first ones, which happened almost 104 years ago.
- Special Deputy Sheriff Charles H. Watson: Died from gunfire on Aug. 18, 1921.
- Special Deputy Sheriff Allen Dean: Died from gunfire on Aug. 20, 1921.
Two special deputies – Watson, 43, and Dean, 43 – were shot on Aug. 18, 1921, in a gun battle with two moonshiners on Kisselburg Bridge near Culberson. A third deputy, Ben Fox, was wounded in the incident.
Watson was reportedly killed instantly, while Dean was taken to a hospital in Copperhill, Tenn., where he succumbed to his wounds two days later. Both Watson and Dean were buried at Shady Grove Cemetery. The suspects were found in Texas in February 1922 and convicted of second-degree murder.
- Murphy Chief of Police A. MacDonald “Mack” Carringer: Died from gunfire on Oct. 7, 1930.
Carringer, 30, had been serving as chief for only five months when he was shot from close range with a .45-caliber pistol and killed in 1930 during a shootout with three robbers in Hanging Dog.
Carringer and three patrol officers stopped a vehicle near Lover’s Leap believed to be carrying three bandits who robbed a general store and post office in Coker Creek, Tenn., also kidnapping the proprietor, C.C. Linderman. Upon being questioned, the bandits opened fire on the officers, instantly killing Carringer.
Two officers, George Leatherwood and Bert Savage, were wounded in the shootout, while the third, R.T. Fain, escaped unscathed. Carringer had just been appointed as U.S. marshal for the western district of North Carolina and would have taken office the following year.
Jess McPherson, Carringer’s assailant, died several days later in the Cherokee County Jail from wounds sustained in the shootout. His two accomplices, brothers Walter and Casey “Kay” Bryson, survived injuries and were sentenced to 30 and 15 years in prison, respectively.
Carringer was survived by his wife and 2-year-old son, John. His boy grew up to become a pillar of the community in Cherokee County, serving as chairman of Murphy Power Board and leading the Murphy Hospital Authority.
- Deputy Sheriff Zack C. Ramsey: Died from gunfire on Oct. 2, 1942.
Ramsey was killed by a gunshot wound to his head in 1942 while attempting to serve a search warrant outside a residence in Texana. He was at the house to arrest Herman Wiley for allegedly drawing a firearm on P.G. Ivie, a local furniture dealer. Ramsey served as a deputy under Sheriff J.C. Townson.
- Patrolman Joseph Robert Davis: Died from a plane crash on May 3, 1948.
- Patrolman Charles Elem Galloway: Died from a plane crash on May 3, 1948.
Two officers with the N.C. Highway Patrol, Davis and Galloway, died
after the plane they were flying in crashed at Andrews-Murphy Airport in 1948. Little other information is known about what happened, and
why.
- Sheriff Frank C. Crawford: Died from gunfire on March 3, 1953.
A native of Unaka, Crawford was shot in 1953 while attempting to serve a warrant in Hanging Dog. He suffered a fatal wound to his heart, inflicted by a 12-gauge shotgun, while trying to arrest a man suspected of committing arson.
- Transport Detention Officer Francisco Flattes: Died from gunfire on June 30, 2025.
A four-year veteran of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Flattes was shot in his chest and killed while escorting a federal inmate to a medical appointment in Peachtree. Kelvin Simmons, 49, of Concord, also assaulted Detention Officer George Feinauer, who was also injured but expected to recover.
Simmons has been charged with first-degree murder and may face additional federal charges. While that’s not going to bring Flattes home, we hope his family knows that his life will continue to be commemorated by a grateful community.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. Call him with comments and questions at 828-837-5122 or email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.