Sergeant William Dean Arledge

Sergeant William Dean Arledge

North Carolina Highway Patrol, North Carolina

End of Watch Saturday, October 5, 1974

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William Dean Arledge

Sergeant William Arledge and Patrolman Lawrence Canipe were shot and killed in the basement of the Buncombe County Courthouse.

Sergeant Arledge was assisting Patrolman Canipe to administer a breathalyzer test when the suspect was able to gain control of one of the officers' handguns and shot them both. The suspect was apprehended the next day by a deputy sheriff in Asheville.

The suspect was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder on March 28th, 1975, and sentenced to two life terms. He died in prison on September 5th, 1995.

Sergeant Arledge was a U.S Navy veteran of WWII and had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 23 years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In August 2000 a six-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 74 in Polk County was renamed Sgt. W. Dean Arledge Memorial Highway in honor of Sergeant Arledge.

Bio

  • Age 54
  • Tour 23 years
  • Badge G-422
  • Military Veteran

Incident Details

  • Cause Gunfire
  • Weapon Officer's handgun
  • Offender Sentenced to life

drunk driver, police facility

Most Recent Reflection

View all 27 Reflections

Unbelievably, it has been 49 years since that horrible night. I remember listening to a Highway Patrol monitor from several counties away as the dispatch center acknowledged various Highway Patrol units checking on, and en route to Buncombe County. We did not know the tragic gravity of the situation at the time, but as the hours passed, and the volume of units responding, particularly upper command units, increased, we began speculating and fearing it involved serious, if not fatal injury to a Trooper. It wasn't until the next morning our fears were not only confirmed, they were doubled with the news we had lost both you and Trooper Lawrence Canipe, Jr. Just reflecting on it tonight brings that same sickening feeling to the pit of my stomach. On this fateful anniversary, know you, your service and your life are still remembered, and appreciated.

NC Officer

October 5, 2023

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