John Lawrence Pierce

Whittier Police Department — Whittier, CA

Felonious

End of Watch May 18, 1977

Age 34

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 118 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Corporal John Pierce died as a result of injuries sustained nine months earlier while conducting an undercover narcotics investigation at Whittier College. On September 21, 1976, Corporal Pierce was leaving a dormitory when two security guards, who had received a complaint about a man harassing students, accosted him in a case of mistaken identity. The security guards shoved him into a parked car, which resulted in Officer Pierce suffering a broken neck. Corporal Pierce was paralyzed from the neck down, needed a machine to breathe, and was in a coma until he passed away on May 18, 1977. Both security guards were charged with felony assault. One guard was acquitted, but the jurors could not agree on the verdict for the second guard. The second security guard was charged with manslaughter after Corporal Pierce's death but was also acquitted. Corporal Pierce had served with the Whittier Police Department for 10 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-24CBC5F4
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corporal Pierce gave the Whittier Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Whittier community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Pierce.

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

Agency

Department Whittier Police Department

Location Whittier, CA

Platform Identity wpd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1977

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Person

Offender Acquitted

Corporal John Lawrence Pierce is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 1.2 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Whittier Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Whittier Police Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious