Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff William Gwyn was shot and killed as he and several of his deputies attempted to arrest three men for cattle stealing.
The suspects, a father, his son, and another man, opened fire as the deputies surrounded their house. Sheriff Gwyn was killed, and several of his deputies were wounded. All three suspects were captured.
The father and his son were convicted of first-degree murder. The son was hanged on June 18, 1897. His father was sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison of a heart attack on November 18, 1904. The other suspect was tried and acquitted.
Sheriff Gwyn had been with the Pike County Sheriff's Office for ten years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-6C30CCEE- 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
130 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Gwyn gave the Pike County Sheriff's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Zebulon community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff William O. Gwyn 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 Pike County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William O. Gwyn's cause is highlighted.
How William O. Gwyn Compares
Offender Outcome
One executed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William O. Gwyn is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William O. Gwyn was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Pike County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
