Bulloch County Sheriff's Office, Georgia
End of Watch: Saturday, May 19, 2001
Age: 53
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: 8
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 19, 2001
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Sergeant Wilbur Berry was shot and killed while he and two deputies were struggling with a burglary suspect.
The deputies had responded to a residence after neighbors reported suspicious activity. The deputies discovered a stolen truck in the backyard and searched the house. During the first search they did not locate anyone so they started to process the stolen truck. When the deputies searched the house again, they discovered a man hiding in a bedroom. The deputies attempted to arrest him and the suspect began to struggle.
They were able to get one handcuff on the suspect when he suddenly grabbed one of the deputies' handgun out of its holster. The deputy immediately sprayed the suspect with OC , but he was able to fire the weapon, striking Sergeant Berry four times and the second deputy twice. The third deputy on the scene returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect.
Sergeant Berry was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Sergeant Berry had served with the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office for 20 years.