Roll of Honor
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
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer John Robert Pugh 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%.
At Montgomery Police Dept., 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Robert Pugh's cause is highlighted.
How John Robert Pugh Compares
Offender Outcome
Died in prison
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Robert Pugh is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Robert Pugh was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
27 officers from Montgomery Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
