Enfield Police Department, North Carolina
End of Watch: Monday, March 15, 1999
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: 502
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 15, 1999
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Lieutenant Tonya Gillikin was shot and killed after she and another officer stopped a vehicle that was suspected of being used in a robbery of a convenience store in Scotland Neck earlier in the night.
As the two officers attempted to handcuff the driver, he began to struggle and shot Lieutenant Gillikin in the head. The suspect then ran back to his car and sped away as the other officer was shooting at him. The suspect was identified by his driver's license, which was left at the scene, and he was later arrested with an accomplice.
The gunman, 23, was convicted of first-degree murder on August 11, 2001, and sentenced to life without parole. His accomplice, 18, was sentenced to 6 to 8 years in prison. He was released on January 28, 2006.
Lieutenant Gillikin had served with the Enfield Police Department for three years and was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant. She was the first female law enforcement officer to be murdered in North Carolina.