Jack Norwood Jernigan

Cheyenne Police Department — Cheyenne, WY

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 4, 1954

Age 29

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 90 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Patrolman Jack Jernigan was shot and killed after he and two Air Force policemen answered a disturbance at a local restaurant at 10:30 p.m. The subject was upset with a waitress when she refused to marry him. When officers arrived and were trying to calm the man down, the subject attempted to gain control of one of the officers' weapons. Patrolman Jernigan pushed the Air Force policeman out of harm's way and drew his weapon. He and the suspect exchanged shots and were both fatally wounded. The subject who sold the gun to the suspect was charged with selling a pistol to a minor. A 16-year-old who was with the suspect at the restaurant was given probation for accessory to murder. Patrolman Jernigan was a United States Marine Corps Reserve WWII veteran and had previously served with the Rawlins Police Department.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WY-E776D423
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Jernigan gave the Cheyenne Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cheyenne community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Cheyenne Police Department

Location Cheyenne, WY

Platform Identity cpd.laramie.wy.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1954

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Jack Norwood Jernigan served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Jack Norwood Jernigan is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In WY, 41 of 63 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.1% of this state's fallen. That is 10.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Cheyenne Police Department, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Cheyenne Police Department

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

WY — Statewide

of 63 officers

65.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious