DENVER (KDVR) — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office suffered 85 years of losing its first line of duty in an Arvada bar shooting that turned deadly.
Jefferson County Undersheriff Clarence Fugate died on October 12, 1940, after Jack Carlton, a bartender at Lee’s Tavern in Arvada, shot him when Fugate came to the bar to arrest him for a previous shooting at the bar.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, earlier that day Carlton shot a man at the bar for allegedly “flirting with his wife.”
When Fugate arrived at the bar to arrest Carlton, Carlton “intentionally misdirected Fugate” into the kitchen to look for the weapon used in the shooting.
After Fugit searched the kitchen and was unable to find anything, he returned to the bar, where Carlton opened fire, killing him.
Deputies who were also at the bar returned fire and shot Carlton, who later recovered and was convicted of Fugate’s murder and sentenced to life in prison.
“Even though 85 years have passed, our commitment remains steadfast – we will always remember those we have lost,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Sunday post on Channel X. “We do so by reflecting on Fugate’s courage and lasting legacy of service to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.”
The Sheriff’s Office also took a moment to honor Fugate via radio Sunday morning.
“Every deputy accepts the risks in this profession, knowing that one day they may have to make the ultimate sacrifice for our community,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “That is why we think of those who gave their lives in service, to make sure they are honored and remembered.”