On March 7, 1924 Detective George E. Lawson and Officer E.T. Roberts were attempting to arrest two men who had just robbed the Faultless Laundry (1401 Woodland Avenue), when the men ran. Lawson reached the men a few seconds before Roberts, and called for them to halt. The men turned and fired on Lawson, fatally wounding him.

Officer Lawson joined the police force in September 1919, in March 1920 was made a patrolman, and in August 1921 became a detective.