Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Berry Palmer died from injuries he received when a dynamite trap exploded while raiding a whiskey still in the Roundabout Swamp near Pearson. Four other officers were injured.
The still exploded when the lid of a mash barrel was raised causing an electric switch connected with the barrel lid to set off five sticks of dynamite. Deputy Palmer was taken to a hospital in Waycross where his leg had to be amputated. He died from his wounds four days later on Christmas Day. Two men were arrested and charged with his murder.
When placed on trial, the suspect's attorney argued that the state had only circumstantial evidence. Both were acquitted February 26, 1932.
Deputy Palmer was survived by his wife and five children.
Survivors
Deputy Palmer was survived by his wife and five children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-GA-2F8A1315- Stewardship
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- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Palmer served with the Atkinson County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Pearson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Palmer.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Berry Palmer is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In GA, 263 of 903 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.9 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Berry Palmer's cause is highlighted.
How Berry Palmer Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Berry Palmer is highlighted in Dec.