Julian Lee Powers Jr.
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Julian Lee Powers Jr.

Lee County Sheriff's Office — Sanford, NC
Felonious
End of Watch June 8, 1959
Age 50
The Vigil Panel 94 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Julian Powers was shot and killed while he and several members of his department searched for a vagrant who had been stealing food from homes and was wanted for questioning in the shooting of a local farmer. As they were walking through a wheatfield, Deputy Powers came upon the suspect who was laying down in the field. The man shot him in the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun. The suspect was apprehended after he was shot and wounded by another deputy in a wooded area near Swann Station Road. The 35-year-old suspect was declared insane and committed at the state mental institution in Goldsboro.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-26201913
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.
Deputy Sheriff Powers served with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Sanford community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Powers.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Sanford, Lee County, NC
Platform Identity lcso.lee.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 8, 1959
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

Deputy Sheriff Julian Lee Powers Jr. 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 97,775 officers honored here.

In NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Lee County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Lee County Sheriff's Office
3
of 3 officers
100% Felonious
NC — Statewide
385
of 664 officers
58% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,775 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Julian Lee Powers Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Julian Lee Powers Jr. Compares

Age at Death
50
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Julian Lee Powers Jr. 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. Julian Lee Powers Jr. was killed by shotgun.

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

2 officers from Lee County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.