James Virgil Griner

Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department — Fitzgerald, GA

Felonious

End of Watch August 30, 1951

The Vigil Panel 87 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Sheriff Griner and Jailer John Smith were shot and killed after they stopped a vehicle to search for whiskey. The suspect opened fire on both men, killing Jailer Smith and mortally wounding Sheriff Griner. The sheriff was transported to an Atlanta hospital where he succumbed to his wounds four days later. After hiding in a south Georgia swamp for three weeks, the suspect surrendered to a Georgia state trooper. On April 23, 1952, he was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to life. He died in prison April 3, 1959.

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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.
Sheriff Griner served with the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Fitzgerald community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Griner.

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

Agency

Department Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, GA

Platform Identity bhcso.benhill.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 30, 1951

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Sheriff James Virgil Griner 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 GA, 549 of 905 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Ben Hill County Sheriff's Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

GA — Statewide

549

of 905 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious