Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman John Sears fell to his death from the Atlas Apartments on Long and High Street in Columbus. While executing a search warrant for a murder suspect, he attempted to force entry into one of the rooms. He kicked the door open, and the top of the door sprang back at him, knocking him over the banister to the ground below. The building was the same location where Patrolman Sears' partner, Patrolman Edward Murphy, was shot and killed in the line of duty the previous year. Patrolman Sears had served with the Columbus Division of Police for 14 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, three children, his mother, and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-75E3B9DC- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Sears gave the Columbus Division of Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Sears.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman John P. Sears is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 32.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Columbus Division of Police, 19 of 59 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John P. Sears's cause is highlighted.
How John P. Sears Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John P. Sears is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
58 officers from Columbus Division of Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
