Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Gibbs was shot and killed with his own weapon in Shelbyville, Tennessee, by a jail escapee. While arresting the suspect, the man was able to gain control of his .38 caliber service revolver and shot him. A Shelbyville police officer was also shot and wounded as well as the suspect who was shot in the leg. The 24-year-old suspect, who escaped from the Bedford County Jail where he was booked for armed robbery, was arrested and sentenced to 55 years in prison. He escaped in 1973 and captured two days later. He escaped again in 1982 and captured two weeks later in Hobart, Indiana. He escaped a third time in 1993 and was arrested two months later in Knoxville for burglary. He was released in 2001.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TN-F585EF8F- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
20 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Gibbs gave the Tennessee Highway Patrol 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Tennessee. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Gibbs.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Samual W. Gibbs 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 Tennessee Highway Patrol, 6 of 41 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 14.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samual W. Gibbs's cause is highlighted.
How Samual W. Gibbs Compares
Offender Outcome
Released in 2001
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Samual W. Gibbs is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Samual W. Gibbs was killed by officer's handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
40 officers from Tennessee Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
