Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Carl Petersen was shot and killed when he attempted to arrest four men who had broken into a local hardware store at approximately 2:00 am. As he approached the building, he was shot in the leg and bled to death at the scene. Three weeks later, two of the men were arrested and charged with his murder. One was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. On July 26, 1936, he was released. On January 14, 1923, the other suspect was sentenced to 18 months. He was released six months later. A third suspect was arrested in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1926. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years. On April 8, 1936, he was released. The fourth suspect, believed to be the shooter, was never apprehended. Officer Petersen had served with the Westhope Police Department for one week. He was survived by his wife and nine children. He was preceded in death by a daughter. He was buried in Dovre Lutheran Cemetery, Newberg, North Dakota.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and nine children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-ND-FDD9248A- 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
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Petersen served with the Westhope Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Westhope community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Petersen.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Carl Petersen 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 ND, 39 of 61 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Carl Petersen's cause is highlighted.
How Carl Petersen Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 25 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Carl Petersen is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Carl Petersen was killed by gun; unknown type.