Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff John Liebenstein was killed by a vehicle that rammed his patrol car at 90 mph during a pursuit. Deputy Liebenstein was blocking an interstate ramp so the car, driven by a 17-year-old, could not exit the interstate. The juvenile was taken into custody after being treated at a local hospital. He was convicted of first-degree murder and was given a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. in 2018, he was granted the ability for parole. Deputy Liebenstein had served with the Rice County Sheriff's Department for nine years. He was survived by his wife and three children. 25 miles of I-35 have been dedicated as the Deputy Sheriff John W. Liebenstein Memorial Highway.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MN-A02B3B4D- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Liebenstein gave the Rice County Sheriff's Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Faribault community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Liebenstein.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff John Warren Liebenstein is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MN, 84 of 293 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.3 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Rice County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Warren Liebenstein's cause is highlighted.
How John Warren Liebenstein Compares
Offender Outcome
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When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Warren Liebenstein is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Rice County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
