John J. Sturgus

Anchorage Police Department — Anchorage, AK

Felonious

End of Watch February 20, 1921

Age 60

The Vigil Panel 40 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

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.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-AK-ACC5C4D2
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.
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

Department Anchorage Police Department

Type Other

Location Anchorage, Anchorage Municipality, AK

Platform Identity apd.anchorage.ak.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 20, 1921

Age 60

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Chief of Police John J. Sturgus 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 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 70 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Anchorage Police Department, 9 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90% of this agency's fallen.

Anchorage Police Department

of 10 officers

90% Felonious

AK — Statewide

of 50 officers

70% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious