Princess Anne County, Virginia
End of Watch: Sunday, August 2, 1953
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 1 month, 1 week
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: August 2, 1953
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Special Police Officer Hezekiah Little was accidentally shot and killed by another officer as they attempted to arrest a soldier along the Seaview Beach Amusement Park boardwalk at approximately 8:45 pm.
The soldier began to struggle with Officer Little and disarmed him. As the two continued to struggle the other officer fired two shots at the soldier, but struck Officer Little in the head, killing him. The soldier was arrested and charged with malicious assault and the officer who shot Officer Little was charged with manslaughter. Charges against the subject and the other officer were eventually dropped.
Officer Little had been appointed a special police officer for Princess Anne County to serve at Seaview Beach only five weeks earlier. Seaview Beach closed when segregation ended and is now part of the Virginia Beach beachfront.
He was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, parents, and 10 siblings. He was buried in Seatack Cemetery.