Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Walter Braswell had served forty years in law enforcement. He came out of retirement just two months before his death — answering the call one last time to serve as temporary chief while Fremont searched for a permanent replacement. He was 69 years old.
On November 13, 1965, Chief Braswell responded to a domestic disturbance and arrested a couple. While transferring them to a jail cell at the police department, the male suspect seized the Chief's own weapon and shot him. The suspects locked him inside the cell, where he died from his wounds.
Both suspects were apprehended and charged with murder. The male suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to thirty years. He was paroled in 1986. In the years that followed, he was imprisoned twice more for assault, and in 1993 was convicted of a second murder in Wake County — sentenced to twenty more years. He died in prison on January 20, 2002.
Chief Braswell was survived by his wife and children. He gave forty years to the badge, and gave his life in service on what should have been a routine transfer. badge.nw honors him permanently.
Survivors
Chief Braswell was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-0E0404F8- 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
40 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Braswell gave the Fremont Police Department 40 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Fremont community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Braswell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Walter Brannon Braswell 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 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 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter Brannon Braswell's cause is highlighted.
How Walter Brannon Braswell Compares
Offender Outcome
Paroled in 1986
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Walter Brannon Braswell is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Walter Brannon Braswell was killed by officer's handgun.