Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

Sonny W. Vaughn

Burlington Police Department — Burlington, NC

Felonious

End of Watch December 7, 1938

Age 55

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 75 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Patrolman Sonny Vaughn and Sheriff Mercellus Robertson, of the Alamance County Sheriff's Department, were shot and killed by two escaped convicts while responding to a burglary-in-progress at a service station at the corner of North Church Street and Trade Street. Both were met with gunshots from the darkness as they entered the station. A third officer returned fire through a window killing one of the convicts as they tried to escape through a back door. The other convict escaped. Both convicts had escaped from an Anson County Prison Camp on October 22, 1938.

Survivors

Patrolman Vaughn was survived by his wife, two sons, and three daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-6F9C4C39
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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Vaughn gave the Burlington Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Burlington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Vaughn.

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

Agency

Department Burlington Police Department

Location Burlington, NC

Platform Identity bpd.alamance.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 7, 1938

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Patrolman Sonny W. Vaughn 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

Burlington Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sonny W. Vaughn's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Sonny W. Vaughn Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Shot and killed

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Sonny W. Vaughn is highlighted in Dec.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Sonny W. Vaughn was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518