Roll of Honor
Gregory Blaise Adams
Incident
Chief of Police Gregory Adams was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Agway Feed Store. Chief Adams was on Water Street when the suspect sped past a stop sign. Chief Adams pursued the man and caught up with him as he attempted to turn around in a supermarket parking lot. Chief Adams used his patrol car to block the exit of the parking lot and approached the driver's side door. When asked to provide his driver's license, the man gave Chief Adams a fake ID and then shot him twice in the chest. The man then got out of the car, and the chief returned fire, but the shots were not fatal. The suspect used Chief Adams' gun to pistol whip him and fled the scene. Chief Adam's weapon was found seven miles away in Winfield, Pennsylvania, and the suspect's car was found in Warwick, Rhode Island. He was placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list in 1981 but was removed from the list in March 2007. In July 2017, the man's body was found buried in his ex-wife's backyard. Investigators believe he died in approximately 1999. Chief Adams was not wearing a bulletproof vest at the time because he had lent his to another officer. It is believed that the suspect was en route to rob a jewelry store when Chief Adams stopped him. Chief Adams was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He had served with the Saxonburg Borough Police Department for seven years and had served in law enforcement for nine years. He had previously served with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. He was survived by his wife and two sons. He is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Herman, Pennsylvania.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-60AE3A9B- 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.
Chief of Police Adams gave the Saxonburg Borough Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Saxonburg 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
Gregory Blaise Adams served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Chief of Police Gregory Blaise Adams 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gregory Blaise Adams's cause is highlighted.
How Gregory Blaise Adams Compares
Offender Outcome
Not apprehended; deceased
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Gregory Blaise Adams is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Gregory Blaise Adams was killed by handgun; .25 caliber.