Circumstances of Death
Prohibition Agents Raymond Ezzell and Joel Boyd were working undercover to purchase liquor from Robert Whitehead, a reputed bootlegger, in Ft. Worth, TX. When Whitehead arrived with his car loaded with liquor, the agents identified themselves and attempted to place him under arrest. Whitehead, using a concealed .32 caliber pistol, shot Agent Ezzell in the left hand. Ezzell and Whitehead then exchanged gunfire, resulting in Ezzell being seriously wounded and Whitehead killed. Agent Ezzell was rushed to Harris Clinic Hospital, but died shortly thereafter.
Background
Agent Ezzell joined the Bureau of Prohibition on October 1, 1930, with an annual salary of $2,300.
Personal
Agent Ezzell was born in Temple, TX. He was survived by his wife, and mother and father, W. H. and Maggie (née Perry) Ezzell, Ft. Worth, TX.