In the line of duty, Police Officer Joe Reynolds, a 48-year-old male, tragically lost his life on a Sunday, June 14, 1959, in Augusta, Georgia. An 18-year veteran of the Augusta Police Department, Officer Reynolds was responding to a domestic dispute that had escalated to a break-in at a residence in the 1900 block of Wrightsboro Road. A woman had called for help, reporting that her estranged husband had forced his way into her home.
Upon their arrival, Officer Reynolds and his partner
were confronted by the armed husband. When the man pointed his. 38 caliber handgun at the officers, Officer Reynolds fired his weapon, striking the suspect. The man returned fire, fatally wounding Officer Reynolds. The second officer engaged in a firefight with the suspect but was forced to retreat after running out of ammunition.
Following the exchange of gunfire with the police, the suspect's violent actions continued. He turned his weapon on his own two children, ages two and four, killing them both. In a final, tragic act, the man then took his own life. The suspect in the murder of Officer Reynolds was therefore deceased at the scene, and the incident concluded as a murder-suicide. Officer Reynolds was survived by his wife and three children.
