Norris Nettles
Agency patch
Patrolman

Norris Nettles

South Carolina Highway Patrol — Blythewood, SC
Felonious
End of Watch January 4, 1942
Age 26
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
The Vigil Panel 78 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Norris Nettles was on duty in Spartanburg County when he was attacked by four assailants during a traffic stop. Patrolman Nettles was shot with his own weapon and was taken to a local hospital by two citizens, but died a short time later. One of the assailants was given a life sentence for the murder of Patrolman Nettles. On January 21, 1947, in his final official act of office, Governor Ransome J. Williams pardoned the suspect along with two other murderers who had been assigned to him as his personal servants by the South Carolina Penitentiary. Patrolman Nettles was survived by his wife and father. His father, Policeman Marion Clifton Nettles, an officer with the Walterboro, South Carolina, Police Department, died in the line of duty on December 23, 1949.

Survivors

Patrolman Nettles was survived by his wife and father.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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Stewardship
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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.
Patrolman Nettles gave the South Carolina Highway Patrol 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of South Carolina. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Nettles.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Blythewood, Fairfield County, SC
Platform Identity schp.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 4, 1942
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 26
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Norris 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 1942, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 79th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Norris was 26. 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. Norris had served 3 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% 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 officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

South Carolina Highway Patrol has 52 officers remembered here, Norris among them.

Across the years

Patrolman Norris Nettles

South Carolina Highway Patrol · End of Watch January 4, 1942

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 32-E

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