Joe Erber

Little Rock Police Department — Little Rock, AR

Felonious

End of Watch June 6, 1920

Age 59

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 39 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 22

Incident

Officer Joe Erber was shot and killed after responding to a drunk and disturbance call to a house boat on the river near Lincoln Street. The suspect fled the scene in a motor boat with his two young children but was apprehended several days later. The suspect was sentenced to life and released in 1930. Officer Erber had been with the agency for 27 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and five daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AR-BF004BA7
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Erber gave the Little Rock Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Little Rock community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Erber.

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

Agency

Department Little Rock Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR

Platform Identity lrpd.pulaski.ar.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 6, 1920

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 59

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Police Officer Joe Erber is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 officers honored here.

In AR, 249 of 372 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.9% of this state's fallen. That is 13 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.

At Little Rock Police Department, 19 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 82.6% of this agency's fallen.

Little Rock Police Department

of 23 officers

82.6% Felonious

AR — Statewide

249

of 372 officers

66.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,586 officers

53.9% Felonious