Carroll County Sheriff's Office, Georgia
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: 908
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 3, 2002
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Lieutenant Billy Ray Jiles was shot and killed after responding to reports of a man attempting to set his ex-wife's house on fire.
When the suspect left the home, he was followed by a citizen who alerted Lieutenant Jiles to his location. After a short foot pursuit, the man ran into another home where he murdered the elderly owner. Lieutenant Jiles took a defensive position outside of the home, but the suspect came out and opened fire with two handguns, striking Lieutenant Jiles several times. Lieutenant Jiles was not able to return fire.
The suspect was shot and killed by other responding units. A suicide note was found on the suspect, and it is believed he was attempting suicide-by-cop.
Lieutenant Jiles had been in law enforcement for 20 years with three different agencies. He is survived by his wife and two children.