Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Albert W. Peterson

Scottsbluff Police Department — Scottsbluff, NE

Felonious

End of Watch April 25, 1923

Age 43

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

The Vigil Panel 45 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Officer Albert Peterson was shot and killed by a suspect wanted for bootlegging.

Officer Peterson and a Scotts Bluff County deputy went to the man's home in Mitchell to question him. They saw the suspect standing next to the garage and called out to him. The man responded by firing two shots. One of the shots struck Officer Peterson in the stomach, and the second shot struck the deputy in both forearms.

The following week the suspect shot and killed Sheriff George Heiser of the Keith County Sheriff's Office when the sheriff attempted to arrest him. Four days later, members of a posse shot and killed the suspect.

He was buried at Aurora Cemetary in Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NE-1F9C1C3D
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

You barely got started.
Police Officer Peterson gave the Scottsbluff Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Scottsbluff community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Peterson.

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

Agency

Department Scottsbluff Police Department

Location Scottsbluff, NE

Platform Identity spd.scottsbluff.ne.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 25, 1923

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Police Officer Albert W. Peterson 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 NE, 97 of 151 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.2% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

Scottsbluff Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

NE — Statewide

of 151 officers

64.2% 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. Albert W. Peterson'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 Albert W. Peterson 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

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Albert W. Peterson is highlighted in Apr.

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.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518