peace officern.

1649 Moderate No. 55. 632 If any Constable or Headborough, or other Peace-Officers within the said Parishes, shall slight, neglect or refuse the service & authority of Parliament, [etc.].

1714 Act 1 Geo. I c. 5 §3 High or Petty-constable and other Peace-officer.

1747 in Colonial Rec. Georgia (1906) VI. 187 There would be an absolute Necessity of a Peace Officer living in the said [Creek] Nation, to preserve the Peace as well among the White Men as Indians.

1798 M. Wollstonecraft Maria II. xvii. 144 When he was once endeavouring to bring her back to her home, this man put the peace-officers to flight.

1853 W. G. Simms Sword & Distaff lxii. 556 Can't you relish a good army-joke, now that you're a peace officer.

1888 Notes & Queries 7th Ser. 6 237/2 It is no solecism to call a police constable an ‘officer’... A police-constable is a peace officer, with the rights and duties of such, and is therefore entitled to be styled an ‘officer’.

1911 Oklahoma Session Laws (3rd Legislature) 161 Such judge or magistrate shall, with or without any endorsement..of any peace officer,..seize all liquor.

1965 Economist 7 Aug. p. xi/3 The officers in charge of these [South African local labour] bureaus are now being designated ‘peace officers’, and have powers of arrest and search of houses.

2003 Austin (Texas) Amer.-Statesman (Nexis) 24 Nov. b2 A homeowner shot and killed a suspected burglar..while peace officers were trying to arrest the man, a sheriff's spokesman said.