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William Harvey Thompson (died August 3, 1927) was a prohibition enforcement agent in the Seattle, Washington, unit of the Prohibition Bureau. Widely known as Kinky, because of his tight curly hair, Thompson's career illustrated one of the problems - unprofessional enforcement - that led to increasing opposition to National Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933).

Thompson's first mention in the press occurred after he shot a moonshine still-tender through the stomach during a raid.

Later Thompson reported that bootleggers attacked him late one night as he was driving on a deserted country road. He claimed that, while a car was overtaking him, he was shot in the arm. However, police investigators found substantial evidence that Thompson had fabricated the whole story.

Thompson used a blackjack on a man who had no reputation for violence. A jury hearing the resulting case denounced Thompson for his brutal beating of the defendant. The judge who presided at the trial later called Thompson's supervisor into his chamber and warned him about Thompson's behavior. Thompson later blackjacked a twelve-year-old boy, the boy's mother, and his one-legged father. He subsequently pistol-whipped a manacled prisoner in full view of a crowd of onlookers who were outraged at his behavior.^{[citation needed]}

Thompson's "favorite tactic was to walk into a joint, grab a pitcher of beer, and pour the contents on the bar, then offer to reimburse the nearest drinker. If the man denied that the beer was his, [Thompson] would strike him over the head with a shot-filled blackjack, and then wring a confession by painfully twisting the victim's arm." ^{[citation needed]}

Bureau of Prohibition officials defended their agents' violence, arguing that they bravely had to consume alcohol as part of their undercover work and that it threatened their health and caused crazed behavior. However, a local newspaper asked why patrons who consumed the same beverages did not become similarly crazed with an uncontrollable desire to injure others and destroy property.

On July 27, 1927, Tacoma police were summoned to a drunken fight between a couple in a parked car. Officer William Nerbornne asked the driver to move on. At that point the driver became belligerent and reached for something in his coat but Nerbornne fired first, fatally wounding Thompson.^{[clarification needed]}

Thompson was eulogized as a martyr for the dry cause and his death was blamed on societal disrespect for law and order. Federal Prohibition officials later praised Thompson's "zeal" but never acknowledged that he had ever used excessive force.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Broderick, Henry (1968). Prohibition Seattle Style. Seattle: Dogwood Press. OCLC 16645070.
Keve, Paul W. (1984). The McNeil Century: The Life and Times of an Island Prison. Chicago: Nelson-Hall. ISBN 978-0830410163. OCLC 9686319.
Metcalfe, Philip (2007). Whispering Wires: The Tragic Tale of an American Bootlegger. Oregon: Inkwater Press. ISBN 978-1592992522. OCLC 84838577.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|American police officer}}
-'''William Harvey Thompson''' was a [[prohibition]] enforcement agent in the [[Seattle, Washington]], unit of the Prohibition Bureau. Widely known as Kinky, because of his tight curly hair, Thompson's career illustrated one of the problems - unprofessional enforcement - that led to increasing opposition to National [[Prohibition in the United States]] (1920–1933).
+{{other people|William Thompson}}
+{{No footnotes|date=August 2019}}
-Thompson’s first mention in the press occurred after he shot a [[moonshine]] still-tender through the stomach during a raid.
+'''William Harvey Thompson''' (died August 3, 1927) was a [[prohibition]] enforcement agent in the [[Seattle, Washington]], unit of the Prohibition Bureau. Widely known as Kinky, because of his tight curly hair, Thompson's career illustrated one of the problems - unprofessional enforcement - that led to increasing opposition to National [[Prohibition in the United States]] (1920–1933).
+Thompson's first mention in the press occurred after he shot a [[moonshine]] still-tender through the stomach during a raid.
 Later Thompson reported that [[rum-running|bootlegger]]s attacked him late one night as he was driving on a deserted country road. He claimed that, while a car was overtaking him, he was shot in the arm. However, police investigators found substantial evidence that Thompson had fabricated the whole story.
-Thompson used a [[Baton (law enforcement)|blackjack]] on a man who had no reputation for violence. A jury hearing the resulting case denounced Thompson for his brutal beating of the defendant. The judge who presided at the trial later called Thompson’s supervisor into his chamber and warned him about Thompson’s behavior. Thompson later blackjacked a twelve-year-old boy, the boy’s mother, and his one-legged father. He subsequently [[pistol-whip]]ped a manacled prisoner in full view of a crowd of onlookers who were outraged at his behavior.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}
+Thompson used a [[Blackjack (weapon)|blackjack]] on a man who had no reputation for violence. A jury hearing the resulting case denounced Thompson for his brutal beating of the defendant. The judge who presided at the trial later called Thompson's supervisor into his chamber and warned him about Thompson's behavior. Thompson later blackjacked a twelve-year-old boy, the boy's mother, and his one-legged father. He subsequently [[pistol-whip]]ped a manacled prisoner in full view of a crowd of onlookers who were outraged at his behavior.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}
-Thompson‘s "favorite tactic was to walk into a joint, grab a pitcher of beer, and pour the contents on the bar, then offer to reimburse the nearest drinker. If the man denied that the beer was his, [Thompson] would strike him over the head with a shot-filled blackjack, and then wring a confession by painfully twisting the victim’s arm." {{citation needed|date=June 2013}}
+Thompson's "favorite tactic was to walk into a joint, grab a pitcher of beer, and pour the contents on the bar, then offer to reimburse the nearest drinker. If the man denied that the beer was his, [Thompson] would strike him over the head with a shot-filled blackjack, and then wring a confession by painfully twisting the victim's arm." {{citation needed|date=June 2013}}
-[[Bureau of Prohibition]] officials defended their agents’ violence, arguing that they bravely had to consume alcohol as part of their undercover work and that it threatened their health and caused crazed behavior. However, a local newspaper asked why patrons who consumed the same beverages didn’t become similarly crazed with an uncontrollable desire to injure others and destroy property.
+[[Bureau of Prohibition]] officials defended their agents' violence, arguing that they bravely had to consume alcohol as part of their undercover work and that it threatened their health and caused crazed behavior. However, a local newspaper asked why patrons who consumed the same beverages did not become similarly crazed with an uncontrollable desire to injure others and destroy property.
-Police summoned to a drunken fight between a couple in a parked car asked the driver to move on. At that point the driver became belligerent and reached for something in his coat but the driver fired first, fatally wounding Thompson.
+On July 27, 1927, Tacoma police were summoned to a drunken fight between a couple in a parked car.  Officer William Nerbornne asked the driver to move on. At that point the driver became belligerent and reached for something in his coat but Nerbornne fired first, fatally wounding Thompson.{{Clarify|date=June 2021}}
-Thompson was eulogized as a martyr for the dry cause and his death was blamed on societal disrespect for law and order. Federal Prohibition officials later praised Thompson’s “zeal” but never acknowledged that he had ever used excessive force.
+Thompson was eulogized as a martyr for the dry cause and his death was blamed on societal disrespect for law and order. Federal Prohibition officials later praised Thompson's "zeal" but never acknowledged that he had ever used [[excessive force]].
+==See also==
+* [[McNeil Island]]
+* [[Roy Olmstead]]
+* [[Rum row]]
 ==References==
+{{reflist}}
-* Broderick, Henry. ''Prohibition Seattle Style''. Seattle, WA: Dogwood, 1968.
-*Keve, Paul W. ''The McNeil Century: The Life and Times of an Island Prison''. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1984.
+==External links==
-*Metcalfe, Phillip. ''Whispering Pines: The Tragic Tale of an American Bootlegger''pp. Portland, OR: Inkwater Press, 2007.
+* {{cite book |first=Henry |last=Broderick |author-link=Henry Broderick (realtor) |title=Prohibition Seattle Style |location=[[Seattle]] |publisher=Dogwood Press |year=1968 |oclc=16645070 |url={{google books|n1W7HAAACAAJ|plainurl=y}}}}
+* {{cite book |first=Paul W. |last=Keve |title=The McNeil Century: The Life and Times of an Island Prison |location=[[Chicago]] |publisher=Nelson-Hall |year=1984 |isbn=978-0830410163 |oclc=9686319 |url={{google books|PnhWAAAAMAAJ|plainurl=y}}}}
+* {{cite book |first=Philip |last=Metcalfe |title=Whispering Wires: The Tragic Tale of an American Bootlegger |location=[[Oregon]] |publisher=Inkwater Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1592992522 |oclc=84838577 |url={{google books|kruzBLw9EnUC|plainurl=y}}}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, William Harvey}}
-[[Category:Prohibition in the United States]]
-[[Category:Police brutality in the United States]]
-[[Category:American police officers killed in the line of duty]]
-[[Category:People from Seattle]]
 [[Category:Year of birth missing]]
-[[Category:Year of death missing]]
+[[Category:1927 deaths]]
+[[Category:American police officers killed in the line of duty]]
 [[Category:Crimes in Washington (state)]]
+[[Category:Deaths by firearm in Washington (state)]]
+[[Category:People from Seattle]]
+[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
+[[Category:Police brutality in the United States]]
+[[Category:Prohibition in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 01:08, 20 April 2024

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References[edit]

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