John Robert Pugh
Police Officer

John Robert Pugh

Montgomery Police Department — Montgomery, AL
Felonious
End of Watch October 11, 1886
Age 33
Badge S5
The Vigil Panel 9 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Pugh, a mounted police officer, was shot and mortally wounded on July 31, 1886, near Lower Wetumpka Road and Eufaula Railroad while attempting to serve a warrant on a subject when another subject shot him. Officer Pugh, who was hit in the bowels by gunfire, succumbed to his wounds nearly three months later. The man who shot him was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison on December 29, 1898.

Survivors

Officer Pugh was survived by his wife and four children (two of whom died the following year).

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-56764B76
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

140 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer Pugh served with the Montgomery Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Montgomery community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL
Platform Identity mpd.montgomery.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 11, 1886
Age 33
Badge Number S5
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Police Officer John Robert Pugh 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 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 63 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Montgomery Police Department, 16 of 28 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this agency's fallen.

Montgomery Police Department
16
of 28 officers
57.1% Felonious
AL — Statewide
405
of 643 officers
63% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Robert Pugh's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How John Robert Pugh Compares

Age at Death
33
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Robert Pugh is highlighted in Oct.

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. John Robert Pugh was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909