Garland E. Fields

Georgia Bureau of Investigation — Decatur, GA

Felonious

End of Watch March 3, 1948

Age 38

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Special Agent Garland Fields was shot and killed during an investigation at the Lighthouse Cafe on U.S. Highway 1, one mile south of Swainsboro, Georgia, while making a routine check on a stranger attempting to sell a rifle at a cafe. Agent Fields was having dinner with his wife and two daughters when he witnessed a man attempting to sell a rifle. After asking the subject why he wanted to sell the gun, the man, 21, ran to a car outside where his brother, 26, and two females, both 20, were waiting. As the subject got in the car, he shot Agent Fields and sped away. Agent Fields returned fire, shooting five times toward them. Agent Fields died on the way to a hospital. The four suspects were apprehended after they committed carjackings, hold-ups, and gun battles throughout Tennessee and Georgia. The gunman's brother had been shot and seriously wounded. The two male suspects had escaped from a Tennessee jail and chain gang in February 1948. Both were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The females were sentenced to two years each. After a short stay in prison, the brother was transferred to the state insane asylum. The gunman escaped jail in 1951 and then escaped a Georgia road gang in 1958, kidnapping citizens for their vehicles and shooting at law enforcement officers before being apprehended. On October 5, 1965, he was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate. Agent Fields had served with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for only three weeks.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-GA-503FDEB9
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Agent Fields served with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Fields.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Location Decatur, GA

Platform Identity georfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 3, 1948

Tour of Duty

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Killed in prison in 1965

Special Agent Garland E. Fields 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

GA — Statewide

548

of 903 officers

60.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious