James William Bailey

Asheville Police Department — Asheville, NC

Felonious

End of Watch November 13, 1906

Age 32

The Vigil Panel 21 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Officer James Bailey was shot and killed while searching for a suspect who had just murdered Officer Charles Blackstock and three other men without provocation. Officer Bailey encountered the suspect near Pack Square and a gunfight ensued in which Officer Bailey was shot in the head. When Officer Bailey located the suspect he attempted to take cover behind a utility pole. The suspect's shot went through the pole and struck Officer Bailey. The man fled but the governor of North Carolina mobilized the local National Guard company to assist in the search for the killer. The city organized a posse to pursue the suspect and was loaned rifles from Finkelstein's pawn shop downtown. The killer was tracked down and was shot and killed in a shootout with posse members two days later when they trapped him in a swamp outside Asheville. It was later discovered that the suspect was Will Harris, one of North Carolina's most notorious outlaws. He had escaped from two different chain gangs and had recently escaped from the state penitentiary in Raleigh where he was serving a sentence for killing a man because he refused to share his whiskey with him.

Survivors

Officer Bailey was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-BECC8CD1
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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Bailey served with the Asheville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Asheville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Bailey.

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

Agency

Department Asheville Police Department

Type Other

Location Asheville, Buncombe County, NC

Platform Identity apd.buncombe.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 13, 1906

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Officer James William Bailey 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 97,772 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 Asheville Police Department, 5 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.6% of this agency's fallen.

Asheville Police Department

of 9 officers

55.6% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious