John Wesley Edwards

New Castle Police Department — New Castle, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch December 1, 1919

Age 73

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 38 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 5

Incident

Officer Edwards died approximately two months after being struck in the head with a brick on Mahoning Avenue. Officer Edwards was attempting to keep the peace at a union strike which turned violent. One of the strikers threw a brick which struck him in the head. He suffered from severe headaches which eventually caused paralysis and his death.

Officer Edwards was a U.S Army veteran of the Civil war and had served with the New Castle Police Department for 11 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-D31BF3B8
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. John is one person.

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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.
Police Officer Edwards gave the New Castle Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the New Castle 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

Department New Castle Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New Castle, Lawrence County, PA

Platform Identity ncpd.lawrence.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 1, 1919

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 73

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

John Wesley Edwards served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer John Wesley Edwards 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New Castle Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

New Castle Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious