Roll of Honor

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City Marshal

John Swearingen

Jefferson Police Department — Jefferson, IA

Felonious

End of Watch June 21, 1902

The Vigil Panel 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Marshal Swearingen was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a man for assault. When the man initially refused to surrender his friends attempted to talk him out of his home. After waiting a day Marshal Swearingen tried to arrest him again and was shot in the neck. A posse shot and killed the suspect in his home.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-88DDEC19
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.
City Marshal Swearingen served with the Jefferson Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jefferson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, City Marshal Swearingen.

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

Agency

Department Jefferson Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Jefferson, Greene County, IA

Platform Identity jpd.greene.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 21, 1902

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

City Marshal John Swearingen 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 IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 57.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Jefferson Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

IA — Statewide

129

of 226 officers

57.1% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Swearingen's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How John Swearingen Compares

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Swearingen is highlighted in Jun.

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 Swearingen was killed by gun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Jefferson Police Department are honored on badge.nw.