Roll of Honor
Incident
Corrections Officer John Holcomb was killed when he was crushed between a boxcar and a gate while he was attempting to stop an escape. The inmate had jumped into the boxcar as it was being pushed through the front prison gate. Officer Holcomb also attempted to jump into the boxcar but was crushed between it and the prison gate. The inmate gave up the escape attempt when a guard in the tower fired at him after he jumped back out of the boxcar on the outside of the gate. Officer Holcomb as serving as a special duty officer at the prison. He had previously served with the Cass County Sheriff's Office and with the Fargo Police Department.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and five daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-ND-EF3B2B7B- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew John. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Corrections Officer Holcomb served with the North Dakota State Penitentiary.
Thank you for your service to the Bismarck community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer Holcomb.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Corrections Officer John Holcomb is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In ND, 15 of 61 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.6% of this state's fallen. That is 6.4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At North Dakota State Penitentiary, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Holcomb's cause is highlighted.
How John Holcomb Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John Holcomb is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from North Dakota State Penitentiary are honored on badge.nw.
