SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 13, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department will hold a plaque dedication ceremony for fallen Sgt. Nephi Pierce on Thursday.
The ceremony will be held at the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, at 35 E. 500 South, at 11 a.m.
“On Nov. 27, 1922, around midnight, Sgt. Nephi Pierce and Officer George Watson responded to a report of suspicious males matching the description of recent robbery suspects,” said a news release from SLCPD. “One of the males drew a gun and shot Sgt. Pierce in the abdomen. Officer Watson was pistol-whipped but recovered.”
Pierce died because of his gunshot wound on March 26, 1923.
Pierce and his wife Marie Pierce are buried next to each other in the Mount Olivet Cemetery, located at 1342 E. 500 South in Salt Lake City.
To read more about Pierce, click here.
Private donations have paid for the creation and installation of plaques around the city at the locations of where some of the officers have died. Pierce’s plaque was donated by the Police Mutual Aid Association, the news release said.
The SLCPD will also commemorate the 25 fallen officers in the department’s history on Thursday, at 2 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Public Safety Building Outdoor Plaza, at 475 S. 300 East.
The ceremony is normally held in May in conjunction with National Police Week. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was postponed until October.
Department members and family members of the fallen officers will be attending the ceremony so the department can honor their service and sacrifice to the capital city.
For information, refer to the attached Fallen Officer Memorial Service program here.
