Trooper Robert Lee Pete Peterson, 37, was killed on May 31, 1979, while responding to a domestic disturbance in Rutherford County, North Carolina. He was a U.S. Army veteran who had served nine years with the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Captain Roy Huskey, the first officer on scene, and Deputy Sheriff Millard Messersmith were both shot by the same suspect during the incident; Huskey was shot as he exited his patrol car and Messersmith was shot while attempting to back out of a driveway. Peterson heard garbled radio traffic and drove toward Rutherfordton, where he encountered the fleeing suspect, attempted a stop, and was shot in the head. He was later found with his service revolver fired once.

The suspect was apprehended, convicted of capital murder, and executed in 1984. Peterson was survived by his sister. The Highway Patrol later named the training center’s physical training field and running track Peterson Field, and dedicated a portion of U.S. 221 in Rutherford County in his memory. Have any readers with knowledge of the Rutherford County area or of Trooper Peterson’s service details been able to add memories or documentation about him?