Gill P. Cates

Durham Police Dept. — Durham, NC

Felonious

End of Watch May 28, 1913

Age 39

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

The Vigil Panel 27 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Sergeant Gill Cates was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man for shooting and wounding his wife. Sergeant Cates found the man sitting on his front porch on Chatham Street, near Broad Street, in West Durham. When Sergeant Cates put his hand on the man's shoulder the suspect suddenly raised a .44 caliber handgun that had been in his lap and shot him. A sheriff's deputy who was with Sergeant Cates returned fire and killed the suspect. Sergeant Cates had served with the Durham Police Department for 12 years.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-FA084FB8
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.
Sergeant Cates gave the Durham Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Durham community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Cates.

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

Agency

Department Durham Police Dept.

Location Durham, NC

Platform Identity dpd.durham.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 28, 1913

Tour of Duty 12 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .44 caliber

Offender Shot and killed

Sergeant Gill P. Cates 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 Durham Police Dept., 3 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Durham Police Dept.

of 7 officers

42.9% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious