Milwood L. Stokes
Chief of Police

Milwood L. Stokes

Whigham Police Department — Whigham, GA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch April 6, 1980
Age 50
Tour of Duty 11 yrs
The Vigil Panel 122 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief of Police Milwood Stokes was shot and killed following a high-speed chase through town. He and a city councilman were sitting in his patrol car when they observed a truck speed past them. They attempted to stop the truck and pursued it until it came to a stop at a home. As Chief Stokes approached, the man opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot, fatally wounding Chief Stokes. The councilman was wounded by shrapnel. The suspect was taken into custody shortly thereafter. He was convicted of murdering Chief Stokes and sentenced to life in prison. Chief Stokes was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Whigham Police Department for two years and the Attapulgus Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and nine children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-7C897EFB
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Milwood 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.
Chief of Police Stokes gave the Whigham Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Whigham community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Whigham, Grady County, GA
Platform Identity wpd.grady.ga.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 6, 1980
Tour of Duty 11 yrs
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Milwood L. Stokes served in the U.S. Army (1954–1969) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Chief of Police Milwood L. Stokes 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%.

Whigham Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
GA — Statewide
548
of 904 officers
60.6% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Milwood L. Stokes's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Milwood L. Stokes Compares

Age at Death
50
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
11
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Milwood L. Stokes is highlighted in Apr.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Milwood L. Stokes was killed by shotgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Military Service

Milwood L. Stokes served in the U.S. Army (1954–1969) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Milwood L. Stokes’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Whigham Police Department are honored on badge.nw.