Anchorage Police Department, Alaska
End of Watch: Sunday, February 20, 1921
Age: 60
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 20, 1921
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Case never solved
Chief John Sturgus was found shot to death in the rear stairwell of a local drug store.
He had been shot in the chest with his own weapon by an unknown assailant. The case was never solved and no motive was ever determined.
Chief Sturgus had served as the Anchorage police chief since the city became a municipality on January 1, 1921. He had previously served as a law enforcement officer in the states of Washington and Montana.