Roll of Honor
John Thomas Sanders, Sr.
Incident
Chief Deputy John Sanders succumbed to injuries sustained several days earlier when he jumped from a moving train while pursuing a fugitive in Georgiana, Alabama. The fugitive had been in Chief Deputy Sanders' custody and was attempting to escape from the train.
Upon landing, Chief Deputy Sanders fell down an embankment, causing a tear in his aortic valve. He died at his home later in the day.
Chief Deputy Sanders was a WWI veteran and had served with the Butler County Sheriff's Department for six years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, six children, father, and six siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-E067B6BE- 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
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Chief Deputy Sanders gave the Butler County Sheriff's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John Thomas Sanders, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Chief Deputy John Thomas Sanders, Sr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In AL, 182 of 643 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.3% of this state's fallen. That is 2.7 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Butler County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Thomas Sanders, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How John Thomas Sanders, Sr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Thomas Sanders, Sr. is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Butler County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
