Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Bradley Cribb was shot and fatally wounded during an exchange of gunfire with a man he caught in the act of robbing a store.
The suspect, shot and wounded in the leg by Chief Cribb, fled into nearby woods. Chief Cribb, shot through the chest, was taken to Bulluck Hospital in Wilmington, where he died the next day. A posse captured the suspect two days later in Whiteville.
The suspect, the most noted outlaw in Eastern North Carolina since the Civil War, was wanted on a dozen charges in New Hanover County. During his long criminal career, he escaped from the local jail three times and the state prison twice. A week after his capture, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair on March 5, 1923.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-9569D209- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Cribb served with the Fair Bluff Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the PO Box 126 community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Cribb.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Bradley Cribb is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 58 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Fair Bluff Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Bradley Cribb's cause is highlighted.
How Bradley Cribb Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Bradley Cribb is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Bradley Cribb was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Fair Bluff Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
