Roll of Honor

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Sheriff

Fred August Patrikus

Billings County Sheriff's Department — Medora, ND

Felonious

End of Watch August 25, 1940

Age 44

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 77 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sheriff Patrikus succumbed to a gunshot wound received five days earlier when he was attempting to arrest an escaped convict from St. Cloud Reformatory in Minnesota. During the arrest, Sheriff Patrikus was shot in the abdomen. The suspect, 25, had escaped a week earlier. He had served nine months of a five year sentence for grand larceny. He was apprehended, convicted of second degree murder, and sentenced to 25 years. Sheriff Patrikus had served as Sheriff for three years and was survived by his wife. Photo provided by the Billings County Museum.

Survivors

Sheriff Patrikus had served as Sheriff for three years and was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-ND-F832DB98
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Patrikus gave the Billings County Sheriff's Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Medora community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Patrikus.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Billings County Sheriff's Department

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Medora, Billings County, ND

Platform Identity bcso.billings.nd.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 25, 1940

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Sheriff Fred August Patrikus is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 officers honored here.

In ND, 39 of 61 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.

Billings County Sheriff's Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

ND — Statewide

of 61 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,586 officers

53.9% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Fred August Patrikus's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,559 (53.9%)

Accident

10,094 (31%)

Illness

3,037 (9.3%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

334 (1%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

How Fred August Patrikus Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Fred August Patrikus is highlighted in Aug.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,516

May

1,504

Jun

1,442

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,517

Sep

1,491

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Fred August Patrikus was killed by gun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909