Berry Lay
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Berry Lay

Felonious
End of Watch April 27, 1931
Age 32
The Vigil Panel 61 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Berry Lay succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day following the raid of a still.

As he passed the home of the individuals who owned the still an altercation occurred in which he was shot in the knee with a shotgun. One of the two subjects who attacked him then took his service revolver and shot him in the chest twice, fatally wounding him. He was taken Howard-Henderson Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds the following day.

Both suspects were convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Deputy Lay was survived by his wife.

Survivors

Deputy Lay was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-A36CC10B
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.
Deputy Sheriff Lay served with the Campbell County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Jacksboro community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Lay.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Jacksboro, Campbell County, TN
Platform Identity ccso.campbell.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 27, 1931
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun

Deputy Sheriff Berry Lay 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Campbell County Sheriff's Office, 10 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Campbell County Sheriff's Office
10
of 10 officers
100% Felonious
TN — Statewide
498
of 769 officers
64.8% 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. Berry Lay's cause is highlighted.

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

How Berry Lay Compares

Age at Death
32
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Berry Lay is highlighted in Apr.

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. Berry Lay was killed by officer's handgun.

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