Portsmouth Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: Sunday, March 18, 1984
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 14 years
Badge Number: 131
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: March 18, 1984
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: At large
Detective Garland Joyner was shot and killed in North Carolina while conducting an investigation.
His body was locate in Warwick Creek, which borders the Gates County - Chowan County line, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Although his was initially ruled a suicide, it was reclassified a homicide in 2014 after new evidence emerged indicating he was following leads on an active investigation.
His killer(s) remain unidentified and at large.
Detective Joyner was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Portsmouth Police Department for 14 years. He is survived by his wife and daughter.