Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff John McCargue was assassinated by two brothers as he was putting his horse in his stable. Upon hearing the shots, his wife and daughter ran out to the stable and saw the brothers running away with pistols in their hands. Both were captured a short time later.
Three days later an angry mob seized the suspects from the county jail and hanged them both from a near-by sycamore tree. Both suspects denied killing the sheriff, and protested their innocence to the last.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-57C91167- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
135 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff McCargue served with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Somerset community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff John McCargue 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 KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 76.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, 8 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 88.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John McCargue's cause is highlighted.
How John McCargue Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John McCargue is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John McCargue was killed by handgun; pistol.
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Pulaski County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
