Asa Hawkins
Agency patch
Special Agent

Asa Hawkins

Felonious
End of Watch December 20, 1930
Age 49
The Vigil Panel 61 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: North Carolina Weapon: Gun; Unknown type Offender: Pardoned in 1947

Special Agent Asa Hawkins was shot and killed near Maysville, North Carolina, while he and another prohibition agent searched for moonshiners.

The two agents encountered seven men at a liquor still. A gun battle ensued in which Agent Hawkins was killed and the other agent was seriously wounded.

Six men were arrested and held in connection with Agent Hawkins' murder. The seventh, 44, was later arrested in Georgia. He had served 12 years of a 30 year sentence for second degree murder when he escaped from a North Carolina prison camp a year earlier. He confessed that he fired the shots that killed Agent Hawkins. He, his brother, and another of the seven were charged with Agent Hawkins murder. His brother had completed a eight year sentence for the same second degree murder four years earlier.

Agent Hawkins killer was convicted of his murder and sentenced to 15 to 20 years. He was paroled on June 20, 1947, when an order to do so was received from Governor Gregg Cherry. His brother was sentenced to 3 to 5 years. The other man was sentenced to two years in the Jones County Jail. Regarding the other four, one died in jail. The other three were convicted of accessory to murder and prohibition violations.

Agent Hawkins was survived by his wife.

Survivors

Agent Hawkins was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-15D926B0
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Agent Hawkins served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Hawkins.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdjbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 20, 1930
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Special Agent Asa Hawkins is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Justice - Bureau of Prohibition, 22 of 35 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.9% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Bureau of Prohibition
22
of 35 officers
62.9% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Asa Hawkins's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Asa Hawkins Compares

Age at Death
49
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Asa Hawkins is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Asa Hawkins was killed by gun; unknown type.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location