Edgar P. Wright

Pierce City Police Department — Pierce City, MO

Felonious

End of Watch January 22, 1891

The Vigil Panel 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Officer Edgar Wright succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier in a gun battle with two brothers near Garfield, Arkansas. Both brothers, ages 20 and 25, were wanted in Lawrence County, Missouri, for beating a justice of the peace nearly to death after he had them arrested for disturbing a church service. Constable Will Dalton, of the Rogers Police Department, Arkansas, was also shot and killed as he, Officer Wright, and two other officers attempted to arrest the suspects. One of the brothers was later shot and killed and the other brother was captured when he mistakenly jumped into a boxcar containing 3 posse members sent to arrest him. One gave himself up and the other received a load of buckshot in the back as he tried to escape. The captured suspect escaped from jail on July 11, 1891,and was recaptured on April 5th, 1893, in Decatur, Illinois and returned to Arkansas. The suspect, now, 24, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. On July 11, 1893, he escaped from his guards at the sand pits in Saline County. He made his way toward Little Rock and tried to swim across the Arkansas River. His body was found lodged in a drift just above Little Rock.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-515D486C
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

135 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Wright served with the Pierce City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Pierce City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Pierce City Police Department

Location Pierce City, MO

Platform Identity ppd.lawrence.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 22, 1891

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; Winchester

Offender Shot and killed

Officer Edgar P. Wright 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%.

At Pierce City Police Department, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Pierce City Police Department

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious