Salavia C. "Lafe" Bowen

Wheeling Police Department — Wheeling, WV

Felonious

End of Watch December 26, 1902

Age 39

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

The Vigil Panel 18 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Patrolman Lafe Bowen succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two days earlier when he was shot while attempting to arrest a suspect for public drunkenness' near 1033 Market Street. The man fled to Ohio after the murder where he was arrested after a shootout with Bridgeport, Ohio, officers. He was returned to West Virginia and charged with Patrolman Bowen's murder. The suspect was found guilty of Patrolman Bowen's murder but was only sentenced to 3 years, which he served at the Moundsville Penitentiary. On January 11, 1908, he was shot and killed by a 14 year-old boy when he attempted to burglarize the boys home in Alverton, Pennsylvania.

Survivors

Patrolman Bowen served with the Wheeling Police Department for one year and was survived by his wife and infant child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WV-C9F9B240
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.
Patrolman Bowen gave the Wheeling Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Wheeling community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Bowen.

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

Agency

Department Wheeling Police Department

Location Wheeling, WV

Platform Identity wpd.ohio.wv.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 26, 1902

Tour of Duty 1 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to 3 years

Patrolman Salavia C. "Lafe" Bowen 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 WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Wheeling Police Department, 5 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.6% of this agency's fallen.

Wheeling Police Department

of 9 officers

55.6% Felonious

WV — Statewide

169

of 232 officers

72.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious