Old West sheriff Pat Garrett had a long career in law enforcement and politics,
but the event that ultimately defined his legacy was his showdown with Billy the Kid
Not only did Garrett fire the shot that killed the Kid in 1881, but he later wrote the notorious outlaw's biography, recounting the story of how he tracked the Kid down at a ranch in New Mexico and ambushed him in a darkened room. In the aftermath of the Kid's death, one local newspaper dubbed Garrett the "hero of the hour," while others criticized Garrett for killing the outlaw in the dark since the Kid couldn't see who was firing at him. The event apparently hung over Garrett for the rest of his life, and he even expressed regret over the killing, saying, "I sometimes wish that I had missed fire, and that the Kid had got his work in on me." Indeed, in the years that followed, Garrett seemed to be plagued with bad luck, facing a series of career failures and financial difficulties until the lawman was murdered in 1908.

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