Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Marshal Matthew Barnhill and a man who was assisting him were shot and killed by a drunk man who was terrorizing citizens with a rifle. The suspect opened fire as several of his friends interfered with his arrest.
The incident resulted in what became known as the Jesup Christmas Day Riot. In an attempt to find the suspect, a mob of Jesup citizens along with men from neighboring towns shot and killed several people. The suspect was shot and killed in Florida several months later.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-DD625620- 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
137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Marshal Barnhill served with the Jesup Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jesup community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Marshal Matthew Barnhill is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Jesup Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Matthew Barnhill's cause is highlighted.
How Matthew Barnhill Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Matthew Barnhill is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Matthew Barnhill was killed by rifle.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Jesup Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
