Pulaski County remembers Sheriff Samuel Catron 24 years after his death

SOMERSET, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Samuel Wilson Catron, a well-known Pulaski County Sheriff who served in law enforcement for 28 years, remains one of the most-visited graves at the Somerset Cemetery since his death in 2002.

According to a Facebook post from the Somerset Cemetery, on April 13, 2002, Samuel was fatally shot while walking to his cruiser during a fish fry in the community of Shopville. He died at the scene in the presence of his mother, brother, and many community members.

The shooter attempted to flee but was apprehended shortly after the incident. In all, three men were charged in connection to the murder, including a political opponent challenging Samuel in the ongoing sheriff’s race, according to the cemetery.

The cemetery says that Samuel’s dedication to law enforcement followed a family tragedy. His father, Harold Catron, was the Chief of Police in Somerset. In 1957, Harold was shot in the back by an individual in a passing vehicle while standing on the front porch of his home. He survived the initial shooting, but bullet fragments near his heart dislodged several years later, causing his heart to stop in 1964. Samuel was 11 years old when his father passed away.

According to the cemetery, despite witnessing the dangers of the profession, Samuel decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. He first worked with the City of Ferguson’s Police Department before eventually joining the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. He spent 17 of his 28 years in law enforcement serving as the sheriff.

Following a massively attended funeral at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, a long police-escorted procession down U.S. 27, and a helicopter flyover, Samuel was buried near his father and other family members. His casket was carried on a horse-drawn buggy during the elaborate graveside service, according to the cemetery.