Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff John Cowlett was shot and killed by a 14 year-old boy when he went to the boy's home to levy on a mortgaged cow belonging to the boy's mother.
His mother refused to let the cow go and told her son to shoot the officer if he attempted to take it. As Deputy Cowlett placed a rope around the animal's neck the youth shot him dead. The shooting brought to the scene an angry crowd of citizens which hanged the boy and then riddled his body with bullets.
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BO-US-AL-8931632A- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
132 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Cowlett served with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Livingston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff John Cowlett 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Cowlett's cause is highlighted.
How John Cowlett Compares
Offender Outcome
Lynched
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Cowlett is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Cowlett was killed by handgun; revolver.