Bulloch County Sheriff Noel Brown continued his annual tradition of holding a memorial service remembering and honoring Sergeant Wilbur Berry's life and service on Friday, May 17, 2024. The memorial service also reminds deputies and the community of the dangers they face daily.
Sergeant Berry was killed May 19, 2001, when he and other deputies were investigating a reportedly stolen truck and a burglary case that was believed to be connected.
When the deputies located a suspect hiding inside a house, a struggle ensued and the suspect grabbed one of the deputies’ guns. He fired several times, fatally wounding Berry and injuring Bill Black, who is now the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy.
Sheriff Brown led the service and gave brief remarks along with Rev. Joey Fennell.
"Remember it is real easy to make an arrest, but Wilbur would have a conversation and worked to change lives. He treated everyone as he would want to be treated," said Sheriff Brown. "He loved people. He shaped a lot of lives."
Members of Sergeant Wilbur Berry's family attended the ceremony, as they do each year.
In 2018, Bulloch County officials named Westside Road as the Sergeant Wilbur Berry Memorial Highway. This is the road Berry traveled daily to work from his home in Candler county.