John Stowe
Agency patch
Patrolman

John Stowe

San Antonio Police Department — San Antonio, TX
Felonious
End of Watch December 2, 1936
Age 57
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman John Stowe was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a man with a gun. He was off duty in a bar when the bartender recognized him as an officer and informed him that another patron had a gun. When Patrolman Stowe attempted to arrest the man he was shot and killed. On February 27, 1937, the 19-year-old suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to death but a year later his sentence commuted to life. He was paroled on September 22, 1953. Patrolman Stowe had served with the San Antonio Police Department for 26 years.

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

26 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Stowe gave the San Antonio Police Department 26 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Antonio community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Stowe.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location San Antonio, Bexar County, TX
Platform Identity sapd.bexar.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 2, 1936
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Age 57
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.

34,117 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 1936, 136 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 31st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 57. 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 26 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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

San Antonio Police Department has 64 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years

Patrolman John Stowe

San Antonio Police Department · End of Watch December 2, 1936

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 35-W

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