North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, North Carolina
End of Watch: Sunday, November 15, 1936
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: November 15, 1936
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Game Warden Joseph Whitaker was shot and killed when his automatic pistol accidentally discharged as he got out of his car to investigate a suspicious vehicle on the North Mills River Road in Henderson County.
He and his brother had been enforcing hunting and searching for people illegally spotlighting deer. They observed a vehicle drive up and down the road adjacent to the house they were staying in and went to investigate it.
Warden Whitaker was survived by his mother and three brothers.