Master Police Officer Jeremiah Montgomery Goodson, Jr., a 32-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on July 17, 2012, in Lumberton, North Carolina. Officer Goodson was off duty when he recognized a suspect wanted on outstanding warrants for possession of a firearm by a felon and failure to appear in court. The incident occurred at a local gas station on Fayetteville Road. Officer Goodson called the police department to notify them of the suspect's location. When another officer arrived, they both approached the vehicle the suspect was in. The suspect opened fire from inside the car, striking Officer Goodson in the chest. Despite being rushed to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, Officer Goodson succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect, a 27-year-old ex-convict named Marques Brown, was taken into custody at the scene. Brown had an extensive criminal record, including convictions for breaking and entering, larceny, receiving stolen property, motor vehicle theft, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He had been released from prison in 2007 after serving two years and seven months for a felony breaking and entering conviction.
In 2018, Marques Brown was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Officer Goodson and was sentenced to 27 years in prison. However, in 2024, Brown's sentence was vacated by Robeson County Senior Resident Superior Judge James Gregory Bell following a hearing on a motion for appropriate relief. Brown had requested a lesser sentence based on errors by his trial lawyers.
Officer Goodson had served with the Lumberton Police Department for six years. He is survived by his expectant wife, son, daughter, parents, and two siblings. In honor of his service and sacrifice, a bridge crossing I-95 at exit 22 in Lumberton was named the "Jeremiah M. Goodson Memorial Bridge" on June 26, 2015.
