Roll of Honor

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Detective

Garland Lindwood Joyner Jr.

Portsmouth Police Department — Portsmouth, VA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 18, 1984

Age 39

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 128 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military 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: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Garland. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Garland is one person.

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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

Type 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

Military Service

Garland Lindwood Joyner Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Garland Lindwood Joyner Jr. 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In VA, 394 of 655 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.2% of this state's fallen. That is 60.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

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

394

of 655 officers

60.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious