James Presley Boyd Jr.
Agency patch
Private First Class

James Presley Boyd Jr.

United States Army Military Police Corps — Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch October 31, 1973
Age 19
The Vigil Panel 112 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: North Carolina Weapon: Handgun Offender: Shot and killed

Private First Class James Boyd was shot and killed when he and another MP encountered two suspects who had just robbed the gas station at Fort Bragg's exchange.

PFC Boyd and his partner intercepted the suspects as they attempted to flee on foot toward N.C. 210. Despite being mortally wounded, PFC Boyd was able to return fire and wounded one of the suspects. The other MP also returned fire and killed the other suspect.

PFC Boyd was assigned to the 21st MP Company 503rd MP Battalion.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, sister, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-2D4E1567
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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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.
Private First Class Boyd served with the United States Army Military Police Corps.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Fort Leonard Wood, MO
Platform Identity usampcmp.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 31, 1973
Age 19
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

James Presley Boyd Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Private First Class James Presley Boyd Jr. 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Army Military Police Corps, 26 of 65 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

United States Army Military Police Corps
26
of 65 officers
40% Felonious
MO — Statewide
516
of 813 officers
63.5% 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. James Presley Boyd Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

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

How James Presley Boyd Jr. Compares

Age at Death
19
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Presley Boyd Jr. is highlighted in Oct.

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. James Presley Boyd Jr. was killed by handgun.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

James Presley Boyd Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit James Presley Boyd Jr.’s page on salute.nw →

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