On January 28th, 1923 Dayton Police Patrolman George E. Clark was working an undercover operation when he suffered critical injuries from getting shot.

While he and another officer were conducting surveillance—on either side of a street—he had started to arrest a burglary suspect. But when the man pulled a knife he drew his service revolver and they began wrestling for control of each other’s weapon. Hearing shots fired, the other officer raced across the street, came in close and fired his service revolver, hitting the suspect. But sometime during the intense struggle a bullet had also hit Patrolman Clark in the abdomen.

George died of his injuries the next day, on January 29th, 1923. The wounded suspect survived. It was never determined which service revolver the bullet had come from, or who had fired it.

Patrolman Clark was 28 years old at the time of his death, and had served with the Dayton Police Department for 18 months. He was survived by his wife.