05/15/2026
We thank them all for their service to our community. 🚓
Today, on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, the Goldsboro Police Department remembers five of our own who gave their lives in the line of duty.
Police Officer Herbert C. Wiegand was killed on March 9, 1940, while responding to a domestic disturbance.
Lieutenant C. Frank Faircloth was killed on September 19, 1960, when his patrol car crashed during the pursuit of a bootlegging suspect. He had served the department for 18 years.
Police Officer Mahlon M. Parks was killed on September 19, 1960, in the same crash that claimed Lieutenant Faircloth. He had served the department for nine years.
Police Officer Walter J. Rouse was shot and killed on February 27, 1968, after he and his partner stopped a vehicle following an armed robbery. He had served with the department for 15 months.
Major Jay Russell Memmelaar, Jr. died on February 16, 2017, after suffering a heart attack while participating in the department’s physical fitness program. He served the Goldsboro Police Department for 25 years.
These officers served during different times and under very different circumstances, but they all shared the same commitment to protecting others.
Their names are part of the history of this department. Their sacrifice is part of the foundation on which we continue to build.
For those of us who wear this badge today, their legacy is a reminder that this profession is more than a job. It is a calling. It carries risk, responsibility, and a commitment to serve something greater than ourselves.
We remember these officers not only for how they died, but for how they lived and for their willingness to stand between danger and the people they were sworn to protect.
On behalf of the Goldsboro Police Department, and as Chief of Police, I ask that you join us in remembering these five officers and all law enforcement officers across this country who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
We will never forget.
— Chief Michael West
