On the 22nd of May 1951, after an argument with Joan, [Robert Dobie Smith] persuaded his brother Andrew to write a rambling letter to explain his intended actions and then make a phone call to the police. The letter stated that he would shoot the first policeman he came into contact with. Smith had earlier stolen a double barreled 12 bore shotgun and 25 cartridges from his father’s home.
–From the Capital Punishment UK Facebook page … click through for the rest of the story.
On this day..
- 1775: Huttenkloas
- 1996: Roberto Giron and Pedro Castillo, televised shootings
- 1569: Gaspard de Coligny, in effigy
- 1862: William Robert Taylor, angry tenant
- 1567: Four Anabaptists in Antwerp, after torture
- 1418: Beatrice di Tenda
- 1896: Chief Uwini of the Maholi
- 1944: Noor Inayat Khan, SOE operative
- 1916: Mary the Elephant
- 1962: Mack Merrill Rivenburgh cheats the executioner
- 1847: The San Patricios
- 1946: Amon Göth, Schindler's List villain
I’ve heard of suicide by cop but I have never heard of someone killing one so he could be hanged. Even at this late date in Britain, shooting would get you hanged – hence why Ruth Ellis was executed and killing a police officer with a gun even more so.