Detective William Henry Bill Weatherly, aged 36, was a male of Caucasian ethnicity who served with the Warren County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina. On April 15, 1999, Detective Weatherly was shot and killed while attempting to serve a failure to appear warrant on a 19-year-old suspect named Lawrence Attaway, who was charged with assaulting a police officer. As officers approached the suspect's home off Paschall Station Road, near Wise, the suspect opened fire with a shotgun, striking Detective Weatherly in the face.
The suspect, Lawrence Attaway, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder. However, he was found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the Dorothea Dix Mental Hospital in Raleigh. On June 15, 2015, all charges against Attaway were dropped due to his mental health status.
Detective Weatherly's death was a tragic event that deeply affected the Warren County community. He was remembered as an exceptional officer who was well-liked and respected by both his colleagues and the community. Weatherly had only been with the Warren County Sheriff's Department for about 15 months before his untimely death. His dedication to serving and protecting the citizens of Warren County was evident in his actions on that fateful day.
The Warren County Sheriff's Department and the community continue to honor Detective Weatherly's memory and sacrifice. His legacy lives on through the impact he made during his short but meaningful career in law enforcement.
