Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Archie Wood was shot and killed by two of four boys he had just arrested in a stolen automobile. He hopped on the running board and instructed the driver to drive to the police station. As they pulled up to the station, two of the suspects shot Sergeant Wood with .44 caliber revolvers. The two killers, both 17, were convicted of murder and sentenced to 21 years. The first few years would be in a reformatory school, and then the remaining years would be in prison. One escaped from the reformatory school two years later and was captured in Memphis a year later. He was returned to the Tennessee Penitentiary. The other suspect escaped from prison on December 11, 1934. On August 28, 1936, he was captured in Clinton, Louisiana, and returned to Tennessee. On July 20, 1937, he was pardoned by Governor Gordon Browning for saving the lives of two men in 1935. He was working for Bell Telephone in Louisiana with two co-workers, working beside a freight train when a load of logs suddenly broke loose from a flat car. The workers, in a prone position, were grabbed by the suspect by their ankles and pulled to safety just as the logs crashed, saving them from a certain death. Several newspapers reported his heroic act, which eventually led to his capture. The other two suspects in the car, 15 and 16, were convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years each in a reformatory school. Sergeant Wood had served with the Nashville City Police Department for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, three children, two sisters, and a granddaughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-96B80548- 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 Wood gave the Nashville City Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Wood.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Archie B. Wood 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Nashville City Police Department, 16 of 22 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Archie B. Wood's cause is highlighted.
How Archie B. Wood Compares
Offender Outcome
stolen vehicle
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Archie B. Wood is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Archie B. Wood was killed by handgun; .44 caliber.
Others Who Wore This Badge
21 officers from Nashville City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
