Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Wignall succumbed to wounds received two days earlier when he was shot on a rampage after his brother was arrested the previous day. The man went to his mother-in-law's home where he murdered his sister-in-law. He then took his wife hostage and took her to the police station. Once there he let her go and took two men hostage. He forced them up the stairs where he encountered a dispatcher and Sergeant Wignall. He forced Sergeant Wignall to give him the jail key and then shot him in the back. When he opened the jail he discovered that his brother was no longer there because he had been transferred to the county jail earlier in the day. The suspect then took the dispatcher hostage and left the jail. He took her to a nearby store where he was surrounded by officers. He eventually surrendered. He was sentenced to life in prison but committed suicide in his cell in 1980.
Survivors
Sergeant Wignall was survived by his and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NM-7ED597D2- 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 Wignall served with the Tucumcari Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Tucumcari community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Wignall.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Jay Elmo "Jerry" Wignall 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 NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 9.5 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. Jay Elmo "Jerry" Wignall's cause is highlighted.
How Jay Elmo "Jerry" Wignall Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide in jail
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jay Elmo "Jerry" Wignall is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jay Elmo "Jerry" Wignall was killed by shotgun.