Hugh Richard Griffin Sr.

North Carolina Highway Patrol — Raleigh, NC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 14, 1975

Age 45

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Badge B-433

The Vigil Panel 116 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 68

Incident

Patrolman Hugh Griffin was shot and killed when he stopped a vehicle occupied by two men on N.C. 53 six miles east of Burgaw. Unbeknownst to Patrolman Griffin, the car was stolen, and the suspects had shot and killed a store owner in Wilmington six days earlier. Due to a registration issue with the vehicle, Patrolman Griffin ordered the suspects to follow him to the Highway Patrol station. As he was walking back to his patrol car, the driver shot him in the back. The man who killed Patrolman Griffin was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life in prison. He died in prison on March 9, 2020. The other suspect was convicted of accessory to murder, the murder of the store owner, and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Patrolman Griffin was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War and served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 21 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-57ACE122
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. Hugh 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.
Patrolman Griffin gave the North Carolina Highway Patrol 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina, 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 North Carolina Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Raleigh, NC

Platform Identity nchp.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 14, 1975

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Age 45

Badge Number B-433

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Hugh Richard Griffin Sr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Hugh Richard Griffin Sr. 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At North Carolina Highway Patrol, 23 of 69 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

North Carolina Highway Patrol

of 69 officers

33.3% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious