Jerry Vernon Beach, 57, was shot and killed on October 12, 1992, while attempting to resolve an armed hostage situation at a bank in Oak City, North Carolina. A Korean War veteran and the Sheriff of Martin County, Beach had been called after the Oak City Police Chief interrupted a robbery in progress; the suspect had taken the bank’s maintenance crew, an elderly couple, hostage. Beach, who served as a hostage negotiator, calmed the suspect and brought him food. He then offered himself in exchange for the hostages and opened his coat to show he was unarmed when the suspect fired, striking him in the abdomen. Beach ran to a nearby officer before collapsing and later died en route to Martin General Hospital in Williamston.

More than 700 local, state and federal officers responded and surrounded the bank. The suspect, named as Larry D. Jones, was wounded the following morning during an SBI SWAT rescue attempt; a female hostage was killed in the exchange of gunfire. Jones was taken to the state prison hospital in Raleigh, where he hanged himself several days later while awaiting trial on two counts of murder. Sheriff Beach had been Sheriff for two years and a Deputy for 26 years, was a Purple Heart recipient, and was survived by his wife and daughter.

Are there readers who remember Sheriff Beach or were in the area during the incident and can share details?