Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief John Sturgus was found shot to death in the rear stairwell of a local drug store. He had been shot in the chest with his own weapon by an unknown assailant. The case was never solved and no motive was ever determined. Chief Sturgus had served as the Anchorage police chief since the city became a municipality on January 1, 1921. He had previously served as a law enforcement officer in the states of Washington and Montana.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AK-ACC5C4D2- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Sturgus served with the Anchorage Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Anchorage community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Sturgus.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police John J. Sturgus 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 AK, 35 of 50 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this state's fallen. That is 15.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Anchorage Police Dept., 9 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John J. Sturgus's cause is highlighted.
How John J. Sturgus Compares
Offender Outcome
Case never solved
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John J. Sturgus is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John J. Sturgus was killed by officer's handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
9 officers from Anchorage Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
