George Cabel Penn
Agency patch
Patrolman

George Cabel Penn

Felonious
End of Watch August 22, 1937
Age 23
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 11 mo
The Vigil Panel 73 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman George Penn was shot and killed by two escaped convicts who failed to stop for truck scales. Unbeknownst to Patrolman Penn, the truck was loaded with stolen meat. The suspects led him on a chase that ended in a shootout on Webb Creek Road in Fairview Township in Buncombe County. Patrolman Penn was shot and killed after he ran out of ammunition. The suspects were apprehended and returned to prison. Both men were convicted of Patrolman Penn's murder. They were executed in the gas chamber on July 1, 1938. Patrolman Penn had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for less than two years. He was survived by his wife and parents. The North Carolina Department of Transportation named a bridge on Interstate 240 in Asheville at the Blue Ridge parkway-US 74 interchage as the Patrolman George Penn Memorial Bridge.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and parents.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Patrolman Penn gave the North Carolina Highway Patrol 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Penn.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Raleigh, NC
Platform Identity nchp.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 22, 1937
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 11 mo
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

George 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1937, 123 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 41st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

George 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. George had served 1.9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

North Carolina Highway Patrol has 69 officers remembered here, George among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman George Cabel Penn

North Carolina Highway Patrol · End of Watch August 22, 1937

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 38-E

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