Ben H. Beasley

Southern Pines Police Department — Southern Pines, NC

Felonious

End of Watch October 21, 1931

Age 53

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Chief Ben Beasley was shot and killed near Durham, North Carolina, while returning from Boydton, Virginia, on official business.

Chief Beasley had gone to Boydton to assist a man in having charges dropped against him for attempting to murder his wife by drowning. Chief Beasley, the man, the man's wife, and the man's sister were in the vehicle when the man suddenly pulled a gun and fatally shot the chief in the head and his wife in the shoulder.

The vehicle, which was being driven by the chief, crashed, killing the suspect's sister. The man then fled to a hotel in Tarboro where he was arrested later in the evening. He committed suicide in jail the following day by hanging himself.

Chief Beasley was survived by his wife and daughter.

Survivors

Chief Beasley was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-F1684D6C
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Beasley served with the Southern Pines Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Southern Pines community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Beasley.

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

Agency

Department Southern Pines Police Department

Location Southern Pines, NC

Platform Identity sppd.moore.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 21, 1931

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Committed suicide

Chief of Police Ben H. Beasley is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Southern Pines Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Southern Pines Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious