End of Watch: Sunday, February 22, 1953
An excerpt from the book, Some Gave All, available on Amazon
By Mike Simmons
On April 22, 1905, Riley Simmons joined the Pensacola Police Department. He was first put out with an older officer, walking a beat downtown.
The job appeared to the townspeople to be quite exciting and almost glamorous. Overall, it was a great position, but it did have its drawbacks. The officers on foot patrol spent the entire shift on their feet, walking. When it was cold, they walked. When it was stifling hot, they walked. When it was raining, they walked. Their uniforms consisted of hard, heavy custodian helmets, and heavy wool uniforms – all for poor pay.
In May 1909, Riley made a life-changing decision when he married Sallie O’Neal. The family began to grow in the next year when William was born. Then came Kathleen, Luther, Irene, and Juanita.
Riley Simmons has the distinction of making the first arrest needing the Seldon wagon for transporting to the jail. At about 5:00 PM, on October 30, 1913, Joe Rogero, an old Italian gentleman, had too much to drink – way too much – to the point where he toppled over at Baylen and Zarragossa Streets. Officer Simmons found him passed out on the corner. He took the ride in the Pensacola Police Department’s brand new Seldon Wagon.
He had been walking a beat for ten years. Finally, Officer Simmons quickly proved to be a dependable, practical officer, earning him a promotion to mounted officer in 1915. With a horse, he could cover a larger area of town.
In 1920, Riley had been riding a horse for five years and had proven to be one of the officers that could be depended on. He was called into the chief’s office and given another promotion to corporal.
At forty years of age now, Riley wasn’t one of the young, spry officers any longer. But what he lost in energy, he gained in wisdom and respect. Corporal Simmons gained status among the department members and in the community. The department came to not only respect Corporal Simmons but also rely on him more. As his job was turnkey, he was the next in line to receive the appointment of Lieutenant on November 20, 1925. Six months later he was a captain, (Pensacola Police records. acquired May 18, 2014).
July 5, 1926: Four people – husband, wife, son, and niece – lived in the Pickern home on Chipley Alley. At 4 AM, Captain Simmons was advised that an attack had taken place at the Pickern house. When he arrived, he found that all four occupants had been attacked and were covered in blood. The kids were not badly hurt, the wife suffered from defensive wounds, but the husband died. A bloody axe was found in the bed by the children. The suspect was never found. The case remains open today.
Over the next 20 years, the team of Chief O’Connell and Captain Simmons went through Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the on-duty deaths of Officers Charles Bazzell, Chip Shackleford, Clinton Green, and Archie Bowman (Officer Down Memorial Page. Acquired February 15, 2022).
January 15, 1939: Captain Simmons, still the commander of the midnight shift, was driving the commander’s car. In the passenger’s seat was Officer Herbert “Tommie” Hatcher. Just after midnight, the crime fighters got word that a robbery was occurring at the People’s Diner nearby. They responded and arrived in a few minutes. Tommie jumped out and ran inside, where he was met with gunfire to his gut. He went down. Captain Simmons started inside but was shot at by the suspect. Simmons stepped back, then carefully stepped inside and shot the suspect in the head. He died instantly. Chief O’Connell arrived within minutes. As he picked up the dead suspect’s gun, he instantly recognized it as belonging to one of his officers. As it turned out, the officer’s son was the robber. Officer Hatcher died a few hours later.
So, the son of a policeman killed another policeman and was killed by another policeman. It was the saddest day in the department’s history.
Captain Simmons was still there when Officers Schmitz, Pursell, Connors, and Champa died in the line of duty. On September 1, 1945, Captain Simmons was promoted to Assistant Chief, serving still under his old friend Willie O’Connell. He retired two years later after serving for 42 years.
What does a 67-year-old man do when he has been a police officer all his adult life? He joined the sheriff’s department. On February 22, 1953, while patrolling, he was stricken with a heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital and soon died…in the line of duty. The old warrior, who was the definition of law enforcement in West Florida, had been involved in hundreds of cases, seen many changes, and buried eight officers killed on duty was now himself dead – while at work. Appropriate. An era had passed.