John Hall Rowe Jr.
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

John Hall Rowe Jr.

Felonious
End of Watch April 17, 1986
Age 33
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
Badge F-23
The Vigil Panel 130 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff John Rowe was killed when he was intentionally struck by a tractor-trailer on I-75 just north of the Florida state line. Florida officers began chasing the semi-truck across after it failed to stop at a weigh station. The driver of the truck fired at pursuing inspectors from the Florida Department of Agriculture. The pursuit crossed the state line into Georgia where Deputy Rowe and other deputies were waiting to join the pursuit. The driver of the truck intentionally struck Deputy Rowe and his patrol car in the median of the highway. The man was convicted of murder and sentenced to 60 years but was released on parole after serving only 11 years.

Survivors

Deputy Rowe was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-B801A084
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Rowe gave the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Valdosta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Rowe.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Valdosta, Lowndes County, GA
Platform Identity lcso.lowndes.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 17, 1986
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
Age 33
Badge Number F-23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

Deputy Sheriff John Hall Rowe Jr. 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 GA, 549 of 905 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office
2
of 3 officers
66.7% Felonious
GA — Statewide
549
of 905 officers
60.7% 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 Hall Rowe Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

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

How John Hall Rowe Jr. Compares

Age at Death
33
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
15
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Hall Rowe Jr. is highlighted in Apr.

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 Hall Rowe Jr. was killed by automobile.

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

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Lowndes County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.