Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Clark Irven was beaten to death by a man he had arrested and was escorting to jail. Patrolman Irven was investigating a domestic disturbance involving the suspect and his wife when he placed the suspect under arrest when he refused to quite down. Just outside of the jail the suspect began resisting the officer, grabbed a sandbag and struck Patrolman Irven twice. The blows produced a concussion of the brain and lungs from which the officer died an hour later. The suspect was convicted of Patrolman Irven's murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison. He was pardoned by Governor Dockery in 1903.
Survivors
Patrolman Irven was survived by his wife, mother, and seven children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-MO-33F3EEE2- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Patrolman Irven gave the Canton Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Canton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Clark Minor Irven 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Clark Minor Irven's cause is highlighted.
How Clark Minor Irven Compares
Offender Outcome
Pardoned in 1903
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Clark Minor Irven is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Clark Minor Irven was killed by blunt object.