Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Sonny Vaughn and Sheriff Mercellus Robertson, of the Alamance County Sheriff's Department, were shot and killed by two escaped convicts while responding to a burglary-in-progress at a service station at the corner of North Church Street and Trade Street. Both were met with gunshots from the darkness as they entered the station. A third officer returned fire through a window killing one of the convicts as they tried to escape through a back door. The other convict escaped. Both convicts had escaped from an Anson County Prison Camp on October 22, 1938.
Survivors
Patrolman Vaughn was survived by his wife, two sons, and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-6F9C4C39- 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
20 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Vaughn gave the Burlington Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Burlington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Vaughn.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Sonny W. Vaughn 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sonny W. Vaughn's cause is highlighted.
How Sonny W. Vaughn Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Sonny W. Vaughn is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Sonny W. Vaughn was killed by gun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Burlington Police Department are honored on badge.nw.