Memorial Page

Police officers know there is no such thing as a routine call. The very nature of police work puts an officer's life in jeopardy. Officers and their families know this and accept the risks of living a life devoted to public safety. Three Mooresville Police Department officers have made the supreme sacrifice and lost their lives while serving our town. We take time to remember them and their families during National Police Week, an annual observance during the month of May. Their dedicated service and acts of bravery remind us all of the value of living life with courage and in service to others.


Chief Rimmer

Chief James Earl Rimmer
Chief of Police Earl Rimmer was killed in an automobile accident on Wilkesboro Road, approximately 16 miles north of Statesville, at about 10:30 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 1938.

He was returning to Mooresville after having conducted official business. The vehicle ran off the road, possibly due to a flat tire, and overturned several times. Chief Rimmer was killed and his passenger was injured.


Barger

Lieutenant Larry Vernon Barger
On the evening of April 7, 1974, Lieutenant Larry Vernon Barger responded to a call at a residence three miles south of Mooresville on Highway 115. Lt. Barger, a twelve-year veteran of the Mooresville Police Department, was acquainted with the residents and had been called at home and asked to come to speak with one of the residents, James Cecil Jones.

Lt. Barger was sitting in the kitchen talking with Mr. and Mrs. Jones in an attempt to settle a domestic argument when Mr. Jones shot him in the back with a hunting rifle. The shooting occurred at approximately 11:35 p.m.

During the following three months, Lt. Barger underwent several major operations to combat infection and repair the damage inflicted by the high-velocity round. He died at 11 a.m. on July 13, 1974. Lt. Barger was 36 years old.


Sheldon

Officer Jordan Sheldon
Officer Jordan Sheldon, a six-year veteran of the Mooresville Police Department and K-9 officer, was shot during a traffic stop on West Plaza Drive in Mooresville on May 4, 2019. Although Sheldon was taken to the hospital, he died shortly afterward due to the injuries he sustained.

Sheldon, 32, was born in Charlotte to Susan Ledford and Harry Sheldon, and graduated from Central Cabarrus High School. He wanted to become a police officer from an early age and realized his childhood dream in 2013 by successfully completing Central Piedmont Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program. He joined the Mooresville Police Department as a patrol officer on September 18 of the same year.

During his career with the Mooresville Police Department, Officer Sheldon was an Honor Guard member and served with the department’s Special Response Team (SRT). In 2015, he was appointed as a K-9 Officer, working with K-9 Loki. Upon Loki’s retirement, Officer Sheldon continued working with his new K-9 partner, Ramon.