Police Officer John Richard Sowa
Atlanta Police Department
Georgia
End of Watch: Sunday, October 12, 1997

Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Sunday, October 12, 1997
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to death

Officer Sowa and another officer were shot after responding to a domestic violence call. Upon arriving at the scene at approximately 21:45 hours both officers were shot in the head, killing Officer Sowa and critically wounding the second officer. The suspect then hid in his apartment for six hours before giving up and being taken into custody. The suspect in Officer Sowa's murder was sentenced to death on March 3, 2000. Officer Sowa is survived by his wife, mother, stepfather, sister, godparents, nieces and nephews, and several close cousins.