Roll of Honor

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Deputy Sheriff

Joseph Tim Whitehead Jr.

Bibb County Sheriff's Office — Macon, GA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 23, 2006

Age 36

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Badge 1327

The Vigil Panel 154 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Deputy Joseph Whitehead was shot and killed while he and other deputies were serving a no-nock search warrant at a home on Atherton Avenue.

Deputy Whitehead and several other officers were executing a search warrant they had obtained during a narcotics investigation. When they entered the location, two suspects inside opened fire on them. Deputy Whitehead was struck once in the chest and once in the face. The round that struck Deputy Whitehead in the chest was absorbed by his bullet-resistant vest.

Deputy Whitehead was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wound approximately 30 minutes later.

Five people in the home were arrested and charged with murder in connection with Deputy Whitehead's death. The suspect who shot Deputy Whitehead faces the death penalty. On June 15, 2012, one of the other suspects was convicted of Deputy Whitehead's murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in 30 years. In 2018 three, 19, 21, and 28, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The fifth suspect was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, sent to prison, and paroled on September 24, 2010.

Deputy Whitehead was a United States Air Force veteran and had served in law enforcement for 11 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three children, his mother, and his sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-8CC61B0A
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Joseph. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Joseph is one person.

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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.
Deputy Sheriff Whitehead gave the Bibb County Sheriff's Office 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Macon community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Bibb County Sheriff's Office

Type Sheriff's Office

Location Macon, Bibb County, GA

Platform Identity bcso.bibb.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 2006

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 36

Badge Number 1327

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Joseph Tim Whitehead Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Joseph Tim Whitehead 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 GA, 548 of 904 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.6% of this state's fallen. That is 60.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Bibb County Sheriff's Office, 6 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Bibb County Sheriff's Office

of 12 officers

50% Felonious

GA — Statewide

548

of 904 officers

60.6% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious