Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Gregory Sorenson succumbed to injuries sustained 18 months earlier when he was dragged by a car driven by a man he was attempting to arrest for drug dealing in Daytona Beach. He was off duty at the time, and the managers of a club at 400 Broadway requested his help with a disturbance in the parking lot at 2:45 a.m. As he was checking the IDs of the men who waved a gun at the bouncers, one of the men reached down in the car, and Officer Sorenson grabbed him to defend himself. The driver sped away while Officer Sorenson was still struggling with the subject. The driver reached speeds of 80 miles per hour when one of the subjects pried him off the window. He suffered massive head and chest injuries and was in a coma until his death in July 1982. The suspects were acquitted of assault and never charged with his murder. Officer Sorenson was a United States Army Vietnam War Purple Heart veteran, having been shot in the face. He served with the Daytona Beach Police Department for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-205EC0D5- 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 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 Sorenson gave the Daytona Beach Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Daytona Beach 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Gregory J. Sorenson served in the Army (1966â1969) before joining law enforcement.
Officer Gregory J. Sorenson 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At Daytona Beach Police Department, 8 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gregory J. Sorenson's cause is highlighted.
How Gregory J. Sorenson Compares
Offender Outcome
Acquitted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Gregory J. Sorenson is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Gregory J. Sorenson was killed by automobile.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
10 officers from Daytona Beach Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
