Pender County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Saturday, October 31, 1953
Age: 55
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 31, 1953
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Sheriff John Wells was shot and killed after responding to reports of a gunfight between two men in Burgaw at 7:30 am.
When he arrived he encountered one of the men holding a shotgun. He ordered the man to drop the weapon three times but the man turned towards him. Sheriff Wells opened fire, wounding the suspect, who fired back and struck Sheriff Wells in the head. The suspect then shot himself in the chest.
Sheriff Wells was a WWI veteran and had served with the Pender County Sheriff's Department for three years. He was survived by his wife and two sons.