Rossell Edward Gilliam
Deputy Sheriff

Rossell Edward Gilliam

Veteran → Accident
End of Watch October 11, 1975
Age 57
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
The Vigil Panel 116 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Rossell Gilliam was struck and killed by a dump truck while directing traffic for the Boy Scout Jamboree at the intersection of US 264-A and State Road 1100. Deputy Gilliam was a United States Army WWII veteran who had served with the Nash County Sheriff's Office for 12 years and previously served as Chief of Police of the Middlesex Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two children, three sisters, three brothers, and three grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-D7522D31
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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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.
Deputy Sheriff Gilliam gave the Nash County Sheriff's Office 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville 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 Nashville, Nash County, NC
Platform Identity ncso.nash.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 11, 1975
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 57
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Rossell Edward Gilliam served in the the United States military (1940–1945) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Rossell Edward Gilliam is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen. That is 30.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Nash County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Nash County Sheriff's Department
2
of 3 officers
66.7% Accident
NC — Statewide
205
of 664 officers
30.9% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Rossell Edward Gilliam's cause is highlighted.

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

How Rossell Edward Gilliam Compares

Age at Death
57
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
12
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Rossell Edward Gilliam is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Military Service

Rossell Edward Gilliam served in the United States military (1940–1945) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Rossell Edward Gilliam’s page on salute.nw →

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Nash County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.