submitted by Bev McClave
Did you know that the first murder of a law enforcement officer was in Stephentown, NY.[private]
Darius Quimby, who was performing duties as a deputy constable under Constable Martin of Stephentown, had been attempting to arrest Whiting Sweeting on a warrant charging him with trespassing. Constable Martin formed a posse including Quimby, deputizing them as constables to arrest Sweeting. In the course of the arrest, which Sweeting resisted, he struck out with a knife and wounded Quimby twice, the latter succumbing to the wounds.
Sweeting was arrested, and on August 6, 1791, convicted and sentenced to die on the gallows. The execution was carried out on August 26. The execution of the death penalty brought about much discussion in the local press, some of whom felt the sentence too severe.
The topic, of course, remains heatedly discussed to this day.
Written by Ronald C. Van Raalte for the
POLICE PRODUCT NEWS/ November 1963 [/private]