Sampson Elisha Cole

Mecklenburg County Police Department — Charlotte, NC

Felonious

End of Watch January 1, 1905

Age 57

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 19 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Rural Police Officer Sampson Cole was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance in which a man had threatened another man with a handgun. The victim left the scene in search of a police officer and located Officer Cole.

Officer Cole and his son-in-law followed the man back to the location, near present-day East Sugar Creek Road, where they confronted him on a set of railroad tracks. Officer Cole drew his service revolver and ordered the man to raise his hands. The suspect raised his left hand and then reached into his right pocket and produced a revolver. He immediately opened fire, wounding Officer Cole's son-in-law in the chest and striking Officer Cole in the abdomen and neck, mortally wounding him.

The suspect fled the scene but was arrested several days later in Fort Mill, South Carolina. He was returned to Charlotte where he was charged with murder. The jury found him guilty of the less serious charge of manslaughter and sentenced him to two years on the county chain gang.

Officer Cole had served with the Mecklenburg County Police Department for four years. He was survived by his wife. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-D2923796
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.
Rural Police Officer Cole gave the Mecklenburg County Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Charlotte community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Rural Police Officer Cole.

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

Agency

Department Mecklenburg County Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Charlotte, NC

Platform Identity mcpd.mecklenburg.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 1, 1905

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Rural Police Officer Sampson Elisha Cole 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 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 Mecklenburg County Police Department, 6 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Mecklenburg County Police Department

of 6 officers

100% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious