James Stallings, a 35-year-old male, was the Chief of Police for the Spring Hope Police Department in North Carolina. On September 18, 1910, Stallings was fatally wounded while attempting to serve a warrant on a man for violating prohibition laws. Accompanied by two other officers, Stallings went to the suspect's home. When Stallings knocked on the door and identified himself, the suspect grabbed a double-barrel shotgun and shot him in the chest. The suspect then fled to Louisburg, where he was apprehended and taken to the Wake County Jail to prevent a lynching.
Stallings was initially taken to his home and examined by a doctor before being transported to a hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Despite medical efforts, Stallings succumbed to his injuries three days later, on September 21, 1910. The suspect was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair on May 12, 1911.
The tragic death of James Stallings left behind his wife and five children. His sacrifice and service have been remembered and honored by the community and fellow officers over the years.
