John George Fow
Agency patch
Patrolman

John George Fow

Louisville Police Department — Louisville, KY
Felonious
End of Watch February 18, 1917
Age 27
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 32 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman John Fow succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day when he was responding to a call of boys throwing rocks at wagons as they passed a grocery store in the 1400 block of Bland Street. When Patrolman Fow arrived, he entered the grocery store to investigate and was shot and killed by the father of one of the boys that had been throwing the rocks. The suspect who was wounded by Patrolman was taken to a doctor's office to get his wounds dressed when he escaped through a window by using a piano. In June 1927, the suspect was identified by two Louisville Police Department Homicide Detectives through mugshots after he was arrested by police in Birmingham, Alabama. The suspect was extricated back to Louisville to stand trial. The suspect turned out not to be the killer. Another suspect arrested in Bowling Green in 1931 also turned out to be the wrong man. Patrolman Fow had served with the Louisville Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Fow gave the Louisville Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Louisville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Fow.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Louisville, Jefferson County, KY
Platform Identity lpd.jefferson.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 18, 1917
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1917, 165 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 19th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 27. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

February holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Louisville Police Department has 91 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman John George Fow

Louisville Police Department · End of Watch February 18, 1917

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 56-W

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