Roll of Honor
Nelson Avery Tillett
Incident
Assistant Chief Nelson Tillett was struck and killed by the city dump truck.
He had stopped behind the dump truck, which was on the side of the highway, and had just gotten out of his vehicle when the dump truck began to reverse. The driver of the truck was not aware that Assistant Chief Tillett had stopped behind him. As he backed up, Chief Tillett was crushed between the truck and his patrol car.
He was pronounced dead after an ambulance transported him to the home of a nearby doctor.
Assistant Chief Tillett was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and had served with the Kill Devil Hills Police Department for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and three siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-2534D739- 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.
Assistant Chief Tillett gave the Kill Devil Hills Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kill Devil Hills community. Thank you 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
Nelson Avery Tillett served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Assistant Chief Nelson Avery Tillett 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 NC, 205 of 664 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.9% of this state's fallen.
At Kill Devil Hills Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Nelson Avery Tillett's cause is highlighted.
How Nelson Avery Tillett Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Nelson Avery Tillett is highlighted in Mar.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Kill Devil Hills Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
