Roll of Honor

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Detective

Garland Lindwood Joyner, Jr.

Portsmouth Police Department — Portsmouth, VA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 18, 1984

Age 39

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 128 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Location: North Carolina Weapon: Gun; Unknown type Offender: At large

Detective Garland Joyner was shot and killed in North Carolina while conducting an investigation.

His body was located in Warwick Creek, which borders the Gates County - Chowan County line, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Although he was initially ruled a suicide, it was reclassified a homicide in 2014 after new evidence emerged indicating he was following leads on an active investigation.

His killer(s) remain unidentified and at large.

Detective Joyner was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Portsmouth Police Department for 14 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-011D03D4
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective Joyner gave the Portsmouth Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Portsmouth community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Portsmouth Police Department

Location Portsmouth, VA

Platform Identity ppd.portsmouth.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 18, 1984

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender At large

Military Service

Garland Lindwood Joyner, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Detective Garland Lindwood Joyner, Jr. 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 VA, 395 of 654 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Portsmouth Police Department, 6 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Portsmouth Police Department

of 10 officers

60% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious