Roll of Honor
Incident
Corporal James Outlaw was killed when his patrol car struck a tree during a vehicle pursuit on U.S. 13 south of Bethel. Corporal Outlaw was riding with a trainee when they attempted to stop a suspected DUI driver. The suspect fled, and the officers pursued him. During the pursuit, the vehicle went off of the wet roadway and struck a tree. Corporal Outlaw succumbed to his injuries before he could be extricated from the vehicle. His trainee sustained serious injuries and had to medically retire. The suspect was apprehended in a neighboring jurisdiction but was only charged with traffic violations and was not charged in connection with Corporal Outlaw's death. Corporal Outlaw was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Bethel Police Department for three years. He was survived by his wife and child. As a result of Corporal Outlaw's death, and other high-profile cases, the North Carolina General Assembly later changed the law to make speeding to elude an officer a felony instead of a misdemeanor. Corporal Outlaw was posthumously recognized by the North Carolina DARE Officer's Association for his work as a DARE officer.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-5DFECE3D- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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.
Corporal Outlaw gave the Bethel Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bethel community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Roy Outlaw served in the Army (1989â1990) before joining law enforcement.
Corporal James Roy Outlaw is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen.
At Bethel Police Dept., 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Roy Outlaw's cause is highlighted.
How James Roy Outlaw Compares
Offender Outcome
Charged with traffic violations
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Roy Outlaw is highlighted in Nov.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Bethel Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
