M.M. Givins
Constable Pct. 1
Potter County Constable's Office
End of Watch: January 12, 1889
Potter County Constable M. M. Givins died in the line of duty, shot by one of his own, on January 12, 1889. Givins served as the Constable for Precinct 1 in Potter County, appointed by the county commissioners court during the earliest days of Amarillo’s history.
Known locally as the “Old Town” constable, he carried out his duties in a rough frontier environment where saloons, gambling rooms, and crowds of onlookers often complicated even routine arrests.
Very little personal information survives about M. M. Givins. County commissioners donated $37 for his burial that took place somewhere in Amarillo, though the exact location is unknown.
He reportedly had a wife and children in Decatur, Wise County, who mourned a husband and father lost far from home.
The death of Constable Givins remains one of the earliest and most controversial law-enforcement fatalities in Potter County history.
END OF WATCH: JANUARY 12, 1889
On the night of January 12, 1889, Constable Givins was attempting to arrest two suspects for illegal gambling when the surrounding crowd began taunting and harassing him. Though upset, Givins regained his composure and continued the arrest. At one point, Givens drew his weapon to hold off a threatening bystander. That's when Sheriff James Gober shot and killed Givins. Givins collapsed to the floor and did not return fire. He gave a dying declaration stating that the sheriff had shot him. Constable Givins died two days later from his wound. The sheriff, who reportedly was trying to quell the situation, was indicted by a grand jury. His trial began on September 9, 1889. He was acquitted two days later.