Shane Miller died on his first shift as a Tabor City Police officer in 2004. On Tuesday, family, friends and fellow officers will gather in the border town as a section of Complex Street will be dedicated to his memory.
Rep. Brenden Jones and Sen. Bill Rabon worked with the Dept. of Transportation and town officials on the honor. Andrew Barksdale of the N.C. Dept of Transportation said the street will not be renamed, but will be dedicated to Miller’s memory.
“The original legislation was to literally rename Complex Street as Shane Miller Street,” he said in an email. “But, when we investigated doing this, we learned that home and businesses on this street would have to go through the trouble of changing their street addresses.
“We talked to Rep. Jones about this issue, and everyone agreed to keep Complex Street as named.”
Instead of completely renaming the street, as has been done for several bridges honoring fallen officers, signs will be installed at either end honoring the patrolman.
Tuesday’s ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at the Ritz Event Center, 213 Hickman Rd., Tabor City.
Miller was an EMT and a firefighter as well as a law enforcement officer. He previously worked as a Corrections Officer, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). His parents said Miller hoped to one day become a State Trooper.
Miller was sworn in on Friday, May 14, and started his first shift that evening. The accident occurred at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Miller, 27, was a passenger in the patrol car that was pursuing a vehicle on N.C. 904 on May 15, 2004, when it collided head-on with another vehicle, according to ODMP. His field training officer, Jason Soles, was driving the patrol car. Soles and the six occupants of the other vehicle were injured in the accident.
The suspect was apprehended and convicted. He was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation in 2005.
Miller is survived by his parents, Tony and Sue.
Two other fallen officers, including one with Tabor City roots, have been honored with road and bridge dedications this fall.
Frank Perrette was remembered in June when a bridge over Beaverdam Creek was dedicated in his name. Perrette was killed in pursuit of a felony suspect in Cumberland County in 1995 while he was a DMV Enforcement Officer. Perrette also served with the Tabor City Police and the Sheriff’s Office.
Fair Bluff Deputy Chief Lennue Hammond was remembered earlier this month with the N.C. 904 Bridge in Fair Bluff named in his honor. Hammond was killed and another officer seriously injured when their car crashed during the Oct. 15, 1976 pursuit of bank robbery suspects from Fair Bluff into Robeson County.
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