Joseph B. Jennings

Roanoke City Police Department — Roanoke, VA

Felonious

End of Watch June 28, 1965

Age 74

The Vigil Panel 100 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Jennings succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained 20 years earlier while attempting to arrest a man at a garage at Sixth Street and Centre Avenue Northwest in Roanoke. He was investigating the suspect regarding the theft of an electric drill at about 7:00 pm. During the arrest, the two began to struggle, and the suspect gained control of Sergeant Jenning's weapon. The man shot him several times, including a shot that severed his spinal column and left him paralyzed. The subject was arrested and served nine years for malicious wounding. Two years after his release, he was found guilty of second-degree murder of another man and sentenced to ten years.

Survivors

Sergeant Jennings was survived by his children and grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-43260216
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Jennings served with the Roanoke City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Roanoke community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Jennings.

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

Agency

Department Roanoke City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Roanoke, VA

Platform Identity roanpd.roanoke.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 28, 1965

Age 74

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Sergeant Joseph B. Jennings 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 VA, 394 of 656 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.1% of this state's fallen. That is 60.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Roanoke City Police Department, 12 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

Roanoke City Police Department

of 15 officers

80% Felonious

VA — Statewide

394

of 656 officers

60.1% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious