Roll of Honor
Justin James Smith
Incident
Correctional Officer Justin Smith, Correction Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden, and Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon were killed during an escape attempt from the Pasquotank Correctional Institute at approximately 3:00 pm.
On October 12th, 2017, several inmates ignited a fire inside the prison's Specialty Sewing Plant as a diversion. The inmates then attacked responding corrections officers with hammers and scissors obtained in the sewing plant. Prison personnel and responding fire department crews were able to bring the fire under control and prevent the escape.
Officer Shannon was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where she passed away on October 30th, 2017.
Four inmates were charged with first-degree murder as a result of the incident. The first of the four was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder on October 21, 2019. On October 28, 2019, he was sentenced to death. The 23-year-old was serving a 24-year sentence since 2013 for the attempted murder of a North Carolina State Trooper. He shot the trooper in Durham four times, twice in the face, after being pulled over for a seat belt violation. He was wanted in Vermont for violating his parole. He had recently been released there after serving 18 months of a two year sentence for more than 100 burglaries including one in which he stabbed a woman several times. After he shot the trooper his Durham apartment was searched where it was discovered he was making a bomb. A map of the Raleigh-Durham area was found nearby with circles of the locations of all police departments. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The trooper recovered and returned to duty.
Officer Smith had served with the North Carolina Division of Prisons for five years.
Thank you for your service and please know that your sacrifice will always be remembered by your law enforcement brethren.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) October 12th, 2020
In Our Keeping
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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.
Correctional Officer Smith gave the North Carolina Department of Public Safety 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Smith.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Justin James Smith 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, 13 of 31 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 41.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Justin James Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Justin James Smith Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Justin James Smith is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Justin James Smith was killed by blunt object.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
30 officers from North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
