Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Melvin Grigley

Atlanta Police Department — Atlanta, GA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch July 2, 2000

Age 51

Tour of Duty 26 yrs

The Vigil Panel 147 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 87

Incident

Sergeant Melvin Grigley was shot and killed when three suspects attempted to carjack his vehicle at approximately 1:00 am.

Sergeant Grigley was visiting a friend in College Park and was parked in the home's driveway, near the intersection of Brittany Trail and Louis XIV Lane, when the incident occurred. As the suspects attempted to flee in Sergeant Grigley's vehicle he identified himself and exchanged shots with the suspects.

Sergeant Grigley was struck in the chest and mortally wounded but was able to wound one of the suspects as well. The weapon the suspects were using was stolen from an undercover sheriff's deputy only days earlier.

The 16-year-old shooter was apprehended several days later and charged with murder. The remaining two suspects were also apprehended at a later date. They were all sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Sergeant Grigley was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 26 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, mother, brother, and four sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-53E52A0F
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Melvin 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.
Sergeant Grigley gave the Atlanta Police Department 26 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta 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 Atlanta Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Atlanta, Fulton County, GA

Platform Identity apd.fulton.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 2, 2000

Tour of Duty 26 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Melvin Grigley served in the U.S. Marine Corps (1968â1970) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Melvin Grigley 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 GA, 549 of 905 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Atlanta Police Department, 58 of 88 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.9% of this agency's fallen.

Atlanta Police Department

of 88 officers

65.9% Felonious

GA — Statewide

549

of 905 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious