Roll of Honor
Sylvester B. Gregory
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Sylvester Gregory was shot and killed when another deputy's shotgun accidentally discharged outside the Princess Anne County Courthouse while on guard duty at about 10:00 pm.
Eight men had been arrested for rioting in the Kempsville area of Princess Anne County on November 6th, 1878, and officials feared a mob was going to attempt to free them from the jail. Deputy Gregory and two other men had been deputized to guard the jail to prevent an escape.
Deputy Gregory was speaking with one of the other deputies when the third deputy walked around the southeast corner of the jail holding a shotgun. The shotgun was inadvertently discharged the full load struck Deputy Gregory in the lower abdomen. Two doctors were immediately called, but Deputy Gregory died at about 2:30 am the following morning.
A coroner's jury determined the shooting had occurred accidentally.
Deputy Gregory had been deputized earlier that day. He was survived by his parents and siblings. His father served as the Princess Anne County jail keeper.
Survivors
He was survived by his parents and siblings.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-VA-44CF97CE- 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
148 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Gregory served with the Princess Anne County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Virginia Beach community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Sylvester B. Gregory is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 203 of 654 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31% of this state's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sylvester B. Gregory's cause is highlighted.
How Sylvester B. Gregory Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Sylvester B. Gregory is highlighted in Nov.