Norris Nettles

South Carolina Highway Patrol — Blythewood, SC

Felonious

End of Watch January 4, 1942

Age 26

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 78 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 51

Incident

Patrolman Norris Nettles was on duty in Spartanburg County when he was attacked by four assailants during a traffic stop. Patrolman Nettles was shot with his own weapon and was taken to a local hospital by two citizens, but died a short time later. One of the assailants was given a life sentence for the murder of Patrolman Nettles. On January 21, 1947, in his final official act of office, Governor Ransome J. Williams pardoned the suspect along with two other murderers who had been assigned to him as his personal servants by the South Carolina Penitentiary. Patrolman Nettles was survived by his wife and father. His father, Policeman Marion Clifton Nettles, an officer with the Walterboro, South Carolina, Police Department, died in the line of duty on December 23, 1949.

Survivors

Patrolman Nettles was survived by his wife and father.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-FC116C2D
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Nettles gave the South Carolina Highway Patrol 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of South Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Nettles.

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

Agency

Department South Carolina Highway Patrol

Location Blythewood, SC

Platform Identity schp.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 4, 1942

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Pardoned in 1947

Patrolman Norris Nettles 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 SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At South Carolina Highway Patrol, 20 of 52 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 38.5% of this agency's fallen.

South Carolina Highway Patrol

of 52 officers

38.5% Felonious

SC — Statewide

271

of 438 officers

61.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious