Officer Carl Petersen

Carl Petersen

Officer Carl Petersen was shot and killed when he attempted to arrest four men who had broken into a local hardware store at approximately 2:00 am. As he approached the building, he was shot in the leg and bled to death at the scene.

Three weeks later, two of the men were arrested and charged with his murder. One was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. On July 26, 1936, he was released. On January 14, 1923, the other suspect was sentenced to 18 months. He was released six months later. A third suspect was arrested in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1926. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years. On April 8, 1936, he was released. The fourth suspect, believed to be the shooter, was never apprehended.

Officer Petersen had served with the Westhope Police Department for one week. He was survived by his wife and nine children. He was preceded in death by a daughter.

He was buried in Dovre Lutheran Cemetery, Newberg, North Dakota.