Henry Eugene Privett
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Henry Eugene Privett

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch July 11, 1962
Age 37
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
The Vigil Panel 97 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Henry Privett was shot and killed with his own service weapon by a prisoner who was attempting to escape the Fulton County Jail at 1035 Jefferson Street NW.

He was sitting in an office completing paperwork when the prisoner entered, grabbed Deputy Privett's gun he noticed in a drawer, and shot him in the arm and chest. Deputy Privett was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later.

The suspect, 31, serving a 10 year sentence for armed robbery, had been transferred from a state prison camp to the Fulton County Jail where he was made a trustee, and assigned to do office work. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. On May 28, 1969, he escaped from the state prison and captured later that day.

Deputy Privett was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and had served with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-B5C915D3
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 Henry. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Henry is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

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.
Deputy Sheriff Privett gave the Fulton County Sheriff's Office 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta 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

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Atlanta, Fulton County, GA
Platform Identity fcso.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 11, 1962
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 37
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

Henry Eugene Privett served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Henry Eugene Privett 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 GA, 548 of 904 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.6% of this state's fallen. That is 60.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Fulton County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Fulton County Sheriff's Office
5
of 8 officers
62.5% Felonious
GA — Statewide
548
of 904 officers
60.6% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Henry Eugene Privett's cause is highlighted.

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

How Henry Eugene Privett Compares

Age at Death
37
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
4
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Henry Eugene Privett is highlighted in Jul.

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.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Henry Eugene Privett served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

Visit Henry Eugene Privett’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.