Joseph D. Whitaker

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Raleigh, NC

Accident

End of Watch November 15, 1936

Age 33

The Vigil Panel 72 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Game Warden Joseph Whitaker was shot and killed when his automatic pistol accidentally discharged as he got out of his car to investigate a suspicious vehicle on the North Mills River Road in Henderson County.

He and his brother had been enforcing hunting and searching for people illegally spotlighting deer. They observed a vehicle drive up and down the road adjacent to the house they were staying in and went to investigate it.

Warden Whitaker was survived by his mother and three brothers.

Survivors

Warden Whitaker was survived by his mother and three brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-F2C882E1
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.
Game Warden Whitaker served with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Thank you for your service to the Raleigh community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Game Warden Whitaker.

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

Agency

Department North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

Location Raleigh, NC

Platform Identity ncwrccons.wake.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 15, 1936

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Cause Detail Gunfire (Inadvertent)

Weapon Not available

Game Warden Joseph D. Whitaker 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 North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 6 of 10 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

of 10 officers

60% Accident

NC — Statewide

205

of 664 officers

30.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident