Bibb County Sheriff's Office, Georgia
End of Watch: Thursday, March 23, 2006
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Badge Number: 1327
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 23, 2006
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Joseph Whitehead was shot and killed while he and other deputies were serving a no-nock search warrant at a home on Atherton Avenue.
Deputy Whitehead and several other officers were executing a search warrant they had obtained during a narcotics investigation. When they entered the location, two suspects inside opened fire on them. Deputy Whitehead was struck once in the chest and once in the face. The round that struck Deputy Whitehead in the chest was absorbed by his bullet-resistant vest.
Deputy Whitehead was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wound approximately 30 minutes later.
Five people in the home were arrested and charged with murder in connection with Deputy Whitehead's death. The suspect who shot Deputy Whitehead faces the death penalty. On June 15, 2012, one of the other suspects was convicted of Deputy Whitehead's murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in 30 years. In 2018 three, 19, 21, and 28, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The fifth suspect was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, sent to prison, and paroled on September 24, 2010.
Deputy Whitehead was a United States Air Force veteran and had served in law enforcement for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, three children, his mother, and his sister.