Henry Grady Bennett

Seaboard Air Line Railroad Police Department — Norfolk, VA

Felonious

End of Watch February 22, 1914

Age 24

The Vigil Panel 28 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Location: Georgia Incident Date: Saturday, February 21, 1914 Weapon: Handgun Offender: Hanged in 1915

Special Agent Henry Bennett was shot and killed in the Howell Station Transfer Yards (Inman Yard) in Fulton County, Georgia, while attempting to arrest a man stealing brass from a boxcar.

Agent Bennett observed the man, who he personally knew, break a seal on a boxcar that had just arrived in the yards. After the man entered the car Agent Bennet approached and also entered the car. The subject immediately opened fire, wounding him twice. Despite his wounds, Agent Bennett returned fire and shot the man twice.

Agent Bennett was taken to a hospital in Atlanta where he died the following day. He gave a deathbed statement identifying his killer. The suspect, also hospitalized, was later convicted of murder, sentenced to death, and hanged on January 29, 1915. Just before he was hanged he confessed to the murder of another man, which officials were able to confirm. He had killed the man in Atlanta in 1913.

Agent Bennett was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and five siblings. He was predeceased by one son. His wife died only five months later on July 4th, 1914.

Survivors

Agent Bennett was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and five siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-2CAFF799
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.
Special Agent Bennett served with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Norfolk community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Bennett.

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

Agency

Department Seaboard Air Line Railroad Police Department

Location Norfolk, VA

Platform Identity salrpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 22, 1914

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Hanged in 1915

Special Agent Henry Grady Bennett 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 VA, 395 of 654 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Seaboard Air Line Railroad Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Seaboard Air Line Railroad Police Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious