On the evening of August 27, 2003, a domestic violence call came in from the Parkway Village area of Memphis, Tennessee. Patrolman Anthony Louis Woods, a 35-year-old African American male and a seven-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department, responded to the scene alone. Upon his arrival at approximately 7:20 p.m., he entered the residence where the disturbance was reported.
Inside, the situation escalated rapidly.
Almost immediately after entering the home, the male subject involved in the domestic dispute opened fire, shooting a woman inside the residence and wounding her. A struggle then ensued between the armed man and Patrolman Woods. During the violent confrontation, the officer was shot twice in the head and twice in the shoulder. Despite his grave injuries, the fight continued.
As other officers began to arrive at the scene, the suspect attempted to flee out the back of the house. Confronted by an arriving officer, and with no apparent way out, the man took his own life. Patrolman Woods was rushed to the Regional Medical Center, but he succumbed to his injuries a short time later. He left behind a wife, who was a deputy jailer, and their three children. The suspect in the death of the officer died by suicide at the scene, and therefore, no arrests were made in connection with the murder.
