Gary Vance Gifford

Nevada Department of Public Safety - Nevada Highway Patrol — Carson City, NV

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 14, 1975

Age 29

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 116 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 9

Incident

Trooper Gary Gifford was shot and killed after making a traffic stop of a bank robbery suspect on US 50, at Cave Rock, Nevada. His killer was convicted of his murder and sent to prison. In 1989 his killer was shot and killed in prison after taking a physician hostage during a 10 hour standoff. Trooper Gifford was a U.S. Navy veteran. He had served with the Nevada Highway Patrol for six years and had served a short time as chief of the Fallon Police Department.

Survivors

He is survived by his son, parents, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NV-3844C264
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Gary 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.
Trooper Gifford gave the Nevada Department of Public Safety 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Nevada, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Nevada Department of Public Safety - Nevada Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Carson City, NV

Platform Identity ndpsnhp.nv.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 14, 1975

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Gary Vance Gifford served in the U.S. Navy (1964â1968) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Gary Vance Gifford 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 NV, 82 of 146 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 56.2% of this state's fallen. That is 56.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Nevada Department of Public Safety - Nevada Highway Patrol, 6 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Nevada Department of Public Safety - Nevada Highway Patrol

of 10 officers

60% Felonious

NV — Statewide

of 146 officers

56.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious