Noel Don McGuire
Agency patch
Detective

Noel Don McGuire

Little Rock Police Department — Little Rock, AR
Felonious
End of Watch May 14, 1980
Age 23
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Noel Don McGuire was shot and killed while working a vice detail. Detective McGuire had stopped a suspicious vehicle at Roosevelt and Arch Streets that ran a red light and questioned the subjects around 3:15 a.m. As he returned to his cruiser, one of the subjects shot him in the back, leg, and stomach. Detective McGuire was able to call for help on his radio. Unbeknownst to him, the suspects had just committed an armed robbery in a neighboring county, shooting the clerk. Both suspects were arrested five hours later at a roadblock in Oklahoma by state police officers. Both, 15 and 16, were wanted for questioning in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin about several crimes. The 15-year-old shooter and his 16-year-old accomplice were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. As of December 13, 2022, the 15-year-old, now 57, was in prison. He has committed 19 major disciplinary violations. Detective McGuire had served with the Little Rock Police Department for five years. He was survived by his parents. Among those in attendance at his funeral were then-governor and future U.S. President Bill Clinton. Don met with Gov. Clinton when he applied for a job with the Capitol and Governor's security force. In 1982, the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #17 changed its name to the Noel Don Mcguire Memorial Lodge# 17.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective McGuire gave the Little Rock Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Little Rock community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective McGuire.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR
Platform Identity lrpd.pulaski.ar.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 14, 1980
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Noel is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1980, 127 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 37th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Noel was 23. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Noel had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Little Rock Police Department has 23 officers remembered here, Noel among them.

VI

Where

Detective Noel Don McGuire

Little Rock Police Department · End of Watch May 14, 1980

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 32-E

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