Joe R. Massey

Greensboro Police Department — Greensboro, NC

Felonious

End of Watch May 31, 1959

Age 42

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 94 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Corporal Joe Massey was shot and killed in an act of revenge by a cab driver to whom he had written a ticket earlier in the morning. The cab driver dropped his fare off and then went home to retrieve his pistol. He then waited for Corporal Massey to perform his routine rounds. He located Corporal Massey sitting in a service station across from 625 East Market Street completing paperwork shortly after midnight. The man entered the service station, called out to Officer Massey, and then shot him six times as he sat at the desk. The 31-year-old suspect was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. Corporal Massey had served with the Greensboro Police Department for 12 years and was one of the first African American officers hired by the agency. He was a widower.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-887CE6C7
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.
Corporal Massey gave the Greensboro Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Greensboro community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Massey.

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

Agency

Department Greensboro Police Department

Location Greensboro, NC

Platform Identity greepd.guilford.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 31, 1959

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life

Corporal Joe R. Massey 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 NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Greensboro Police Department, 7 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Greensboro Police Department

of 14 officers

50% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious