Joseph E. Sage

Butte Police Department — Butte, MT

Felonious

End of Watch April 8, 1925

Age 55

The Vigil Panel 48 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Officer Sage was shot and mortally wounded by one of three men who attacked him on East Murcury Street. The three, who probably did not know he was a police officer since he was in street clothes, grabbed him from behind; robbed him of his watch; grabbed his service revolver; and shot him through both legs. Before going to the hospital Officer Sage assisted other officers in arresting one of the suspects. Another one of the three was arrested a short time later. Officer Sage was taken to a local hospital in Butte where doctors determined that his wounds were not that serious. But infection and other complications set in and he died as a result two weeks later. On October 16, 1925, the murder charges were dismissed against the suspects. The judge ruled that the state had not shown sufficient evidence to warrant taking the case to court because it could not be determined which one of the three shot Officer Sage.

Survivors

Officer Sage was survived by a sister and four brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MT-3ABC0CD8
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.
Police Officer Sage served with the Butte Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Butte community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Sage.

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

Agency

Department Butte Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Butte, MT

Platform Identity bpd.silverbow.mt.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 8, 1925

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Police Officer Joseph E. Sage 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 MT, 93 of 142 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.5% of this state's fallen. That is 65.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Butte Police Department, 10 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Butte Police Department

of 14 officers

71.4% Felonious

MT — Statewide

of 142 officers

65.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious