Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Pearce attempted to arrest a man and two other men interfered. One of the men pried a floorboard loose and struck Officer Pearce across the back of the head. Officer Pearce collapsed and died the following evening, never having regained consciousness. The suspect who wielded the plank was found guilty and executed by hanging. The other two suspects were found guilty of manslaughter and received 10 years each in jail.
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BO-US-NC-AFDC2D5F- Stewardship
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
138 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer Pearce served with the Monroe Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Monroe community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer John Pearce is one of 17,558 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,585 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 4.1 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Pearce's cause is highlighted.
How John Pearce Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Pearce is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.