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Justin James Smith
Incident
North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, NC
North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, NC
Correctional Officer Justin Smith, Correction Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden, and Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon were killed during an escape attempt from the Pasquotank Correctional Institute at approximately 3:00 pm.
On October 12th, 2017, several inmates ignited a fire inside the prison's Specialty Sewing Plant as a diversion. The inmates then attacked responding corrections officers with hammers and scissors obtained in the sewing plant. Prison personnel and responding fire department crews were able to bring the fire under control and prevent the escape.
Officer Shannon was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she passed away on October 30th, 2017.
Four inmates were charged with first-degree murder as a result of the incident. The first of the four was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death. The 23-year-old has been serving a 24-year sentence since 2013 for the attempted murder of a North Carolina State Trooper. He shot the trooper in Durham four times, twice in the face, after being pulled over for a seat belt violation. He was wanted in Vermont for violating his parole. He had recently been released there after serving 18 months of a two-year sentence for more than 100 burglaries, including one in which he stabbed a woman several times. After he shot the trooper, his Durham apartment was searched, where it was discovered he was making a bomb. A map of the Raleigh-Durham area was found nearby with circles of the locations of all police departments. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The trooper recovered and returned to duty.
Officer Smith had served with the North Carolina Division of Prisons for five years.
In Our Keeping
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer Smith gave the North Carolina Department of Public Safety 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of North Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Smith.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Felonious
North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has lost 31 officers; 13 of them killed feloniously.
Justin is one of 385 officers killed feloniously in NC, 58% of the 664 remembered there.
Justin is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Justin is one of 17,631 officers killed feloniously worldwide, 51.7% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 2017, 4 officers at North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice were killed feloniously, more than in any other year.
In 2017, 4 officers in NC were killed feloniously, the 28th heaviest of 127 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 12.
In 2017, 59 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 129th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.
In 2017, 64 officers worldwide were killed feloniously, the 125th heaviest of 265 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 516.
Who
Justin was 35. Of the 13 killed feloniously at North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice whose age is recorded, half were between 33 and 49; the middle age was 43. Justin had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 4.5 years.
Justin was 35. Of the 370 killed feloniously in NC whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 48; the middle age was 39. Justin had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 5 years.
Justin was 35. 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. Justin had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Justin was 35. Of the 15,854 killed feloniously worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 38. Justin had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
October holds 23.1% of these deaths at North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, more than any other month. Thursdays: 38.5%.
October holds 10.4% of these deaths in NC; May holds the most, 11.4%. Thursdays: 16.1%.
October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.
October holds 7.8% of these deaths worldwide; December holds the most, 9.2%. Thursdays: 14.1%.
How
Felonious deaths account for 41.9% of all 31 deaths at North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was blunt object, in 53.8% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 58% of all 664 deaths in NC, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was blunt object, in 2.9% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was blunt object, in 1.2% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 51.7% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was blunt object, in 1.1% of these deaths.
His people
North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has 31 officers remembered here, Justin among them.
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J. C. Freeman Sep 18, 1915
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Thomas Peter Sale Jan 28, 1916
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A. D. Spivey Aug 30, 1928
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Ernest B. Hux Aug 30, 1934
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James S. Chesser Dec 28, 1939
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H. Carl Keith May 25, 1945
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George S. Bowman Mar 4, 1947
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Kermit Dale Jackson Jul 21, 1960
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Earl Cranston Strickland Jun 2, 1969
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Randall Clayton Cupp
Jun 5, 1986
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Leslie John Besci Jun 28, 1992
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David Michael Anthony
Oct 27, 1998
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Shannon Cuddington Smith
Nov 9, 1999
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Edward Ashley Pounds
Jan 9, 2010
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William Lee Wright
Apr 11, 2012
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Keith DeCarlo Smith
Dec 1, 2012
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Meggan Lee Callahan
Apr 26, 2017
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Justin James Smith
Oct 12, 2017
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Veronica Skinner Darden
Oct 12, 2017
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Wendy Letitia Shannon
Oct 30, 2017
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Allen Bruce Trivett
Oct 10, 2020
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Michael Robert Flagg
Oct 26, 2020
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Charles Warren Harris, Jr.
Oct 28, 2020
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Thomas Daniel Roberts, Jr.
Nov 16, 2020
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Joseph Lloyd Greinke
Nov 20, 2020
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Christopher Eugene Sorrenti
Nov 30, 2020
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Julian Arsenio Priest, III
Dec 24, 2020
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Anthony Lynn Hardie
Feb 6, 2021
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Ledell Graham
Aug 30, 2021
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Dennis Eugene Boykin
Oct 12, 2021
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Helen Mae Smith
Feb 3, 2022
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 32-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
30 officers from North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
