In a horrifically sad statement out of Sikeston, Missouri, a police officer who was assisting other officers in a mutual aid operation in Mississippi County, Missouri was slain in the line of duty, apparently by a criminal who had barricaded himself in a house to fight off officers who were attempting to serve a warrant on him.
According to reports of the incident that emerged, the officer who was slain in the shooting was 41-year-old Henry Franklin. The shooting in which he was murdered came on Monday, October 6, after Officer Franklin responded to a mutual aid request from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office for serving a warrant on 36-year-old Nathan B. Peters, who opened fire on officers after barricading himself inside his house around 7:30 in the evening. Peters was wanted in connection with another homicide that had occurred earlier in the day.
Such is what the Sikeston Department of Public Safety revealed in a statement released via its Facebook page after the shooting. It began by saying, “The Sikeston Department of Public Safety is deeply saddened to report the tragic loss of Officer Henry Franklin, who was killed in the line of duty on Oct. 6, 2025.”
Continuing, the statement explained that Officer Franklin was a member of the local tactical team and deployed to the scene of the shooting in that capacity, saying, “Franklin was a member of the Sikeston DPS Tactical Team who responded to a mutual aid call in Mississippi County on Monday. During the service of a warrant, Franklin was shot and killed from a person who was concealed inside the residence.”
Further, the statement noted that Officer Franklin had served two tours in the Iraq War before joining the SDPS as an officer, saying, “Franklin was a highly respected member of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, starting in June of 2013. He served as the handler for K9 Odin and was retired from the Army, serving two tours in Iraq.”
Adding yet more tragedy to the horrifically sad situation, Officer Franklin was a husband and father of four at the time of his death, as the statement announced, saying, “Franklin was born and raised in Charleston and is survived by his wife, Leah, and four children, along with his mother, Sally Turner Doyle and sister Amy Eastman.”
Commenting on the horrible incident, Sikeston Department of Public Safety Director James McMillen said, “Our department has suffered an unimaginable loss.” Director McMillen continued, “We ask that you keep Franklin’s family and our department in your prayers.”
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The department also released a link to a “Meal Train” funding request for the family of the departed officer, with “Meal Train” being a service that helps provide meals and organize the making and delivery of them, along with donations that pay for them. The page requesting those donations and meals said, “We appreciate all the out pouring of love and support to help the family of the fallen officer, a husband, a son, and a father Henry Franklin 💙”
Featured image credit: SDPS Facebook