George Pettit Thomas

Roanoke City Police Department — Roanoke, VA

Felonious

End of Watch November 20, 1930

Age 35

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 61 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Patrolman Thomas succumbed to gunshot wounds received 11 days earlier when he encountered a drunk man on Norfolk Avenue. When he instructed the man to go home the suspect produced a handgun and shot Patrolman Thomas, critically wounding him. Patrolman Thomas, shot in the abdomen, was improving well in the hospital and his condition was upgraded from critical to good. Eleven days after he was shot, he was in good spirits, and the pain was almost gone when he suddenly died. After the shooting, the suspect was apprehended three days later hiding a vacant building not far from the scene of the shooting. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to several years. On October 28, 1946, he died from tuberculosis at the state prison farm in Goochland County Virginia.

Survivors

Patrolman Thomas was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-53F605C1
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.
Patrolman Thomas gave the Roanoke City Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Roanoke community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Thomas.

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

Agency

Department Roanoke City Police Department

Location Roanoke, VA

Platform Identity roanpd.roanoke.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 20, 1930

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .45 caliber

Offender Died in prison

Patrolman George Pettit Thomas 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 Roanoke City Police Department, 12 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.

Roanoke City Police Department

of 15 officers

80% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious