Roll of Honor

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Officer

Thomas DeVane V

Wilmington Police Department — Wilmington, NC

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 5, 1865

Age 28

Tour of Duty 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 3 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Officer Thomas DeVane succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier.

He was accosted at the intersection of 5th Street and Orange Street and shot once in the groin. He was taken to his home where he succumbed to his wounds two days later.

On the same night that Officer DeVane was shot and killed, a group of drunk Union soldiers attacked police officers in several other locations. No suspects were ever identified or arrested in connection with his murder.

Officer DeVane was a Confederate Army veteran and had served with the Wilmington Police Department for only six months.

Survivors

He was survived by his expectant wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-F865A440
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. Thomas 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.
Officer DeVane served with the Wilmington Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Wilmington 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 Wilmington Police Department

Type Other

Location Wilmington, New Hanover County, NC

Platform Identity wpd.newhanover.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 5, 1865

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Age 28

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Thomas DeVane V served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Thomas DeVane V 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Wilmington Police Department, 4 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Wilmington Police Department

of 12 officers

33.3% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious