Roll of Honor
Wayne Harold Gaither
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Wayne Gaither was shot and mortally wounded by a man after he initiated a traffic stop at 11:00 p.m. on Redland Road, a quarter of a mile south of NC Highway 801 in Advance. Deputy Gaither radioed the description of the vehicle and its license plate number, which he stopped for suspected drunk driving. Witnesses viewed a car speeding away after hearing gunshots. When they approached Deputy Gaither, he had multiple gunshot wounds. Deputy Gaither passed away at Davie County Hospital. The suspect also shot and killed Captain Jack Renigar, of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department, as he and other officers were attempting to arrest him for the shooting of Deputy Gaither. The suspect was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to two 80-year terms in prison on July 14, 1976. He died in prison on July 31, 1992. Deputy Gaither was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran who served with the Davie County Sheriff's Office for over a year and previously served with the Mocksville Police Department.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, mother, two sisters, and a brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-D7618EAE- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Gaither gave the Davie County Sheriff's Office 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mocksville community, and 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
Wayne Harold Gaither served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Wayne Harold Gaither 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wayne Harold Gaither's cause is highlighted.
How Wayne Harold Gaither Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 160 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Wayne Harold Gaither is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Wayne Harold Gaither was killed by gun; unknown type.