Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Fullerton succumbed to gunshot wounds received two months earlier while searching for four armed robbery suspects. The suspects had robbed a liguor store in hammonton and crashed their vehicle into a concrete wall in Moorestown, 40 miles away, during a high-speed pursuit involving 10 police departments. The men then fled on the foot. Sergeant Fullerton responded to the area and began searching for the suspects. He located one of them and a gunfight ensued where Sergeant Fullerton was fatally wounded. All four suspects including the 26-year-old gunman were all apprehended. The gunman was convicted of murder, armed robbery, and sentenced to life plus 30 years. In 1981 he was shot in the back by a guard as he and three other inmates attempted to escape from Trenton Maximum Security Prison. He was convicted of escape, possession of a deadly weapon, arson, and received another 20 years. He will be eligible for parole on May 8, 2023. The other three suspects received lengthy prison terms. Sergeant Fullerton had been with the agency for 24 years. He was survived by two sons. One of his sons was in the police academy at the time of the shooting.
Survivors
He was survived by two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-611D67E8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
24 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Fullerton gave the Moorestown Police Department 24 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Moorestown community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Fullerton.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Francis X. Fullerton Sr. served in the the United States military (1948â1952) before joining law enforcement.
Sergeant Francis X. Fullerton Sr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In NJ, 229 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.4% of this state's fallen. That is 35.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Moorestown Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Francis X. Fullerton Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Francis X. Fullerton Sr. Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Francis X. Fullerton Sr. is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Francis X. Fullerton Sr. was killed by gun.
Military Service
Francis X. Fullerton Sr. served in the United States military (1948–1952) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Francis X. Fullerton Sr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Moorestown Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
