Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Ralph White was electrocuted when he came into contact with a downed power line near the intersection of Catawba Avenue and Statesville Avenue (modern day Main Street).
A strong storm had knocked out power to the town. The duties of Cornelius police officers also included restoring power to the town following storms. Patrolman White was attempting to restore the power when he came in contact with the line, which had been previously cut and left bare.
He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Patrolman White was survived by his wife and three children.
Survivors
Patrolman White was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-94BAB896- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman White served with the Cornelius Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Cornelius community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman White.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Ralph Alcorn White is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen. That is 30.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ralph Alcorn White's cause is highlighted.
How Ralph Alcorn White Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ralph Alcorn White is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Cornelius Police Department are honored on badge.nw.