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Deputy Bolanos-Anavisca was Cumberland County Sheriff's Office's 13th line-of-duty death

Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright stands by a picture of Cumberland County Sheriffs Deputy Oscar Yovani Bolanos-Anavisca Jr., 23, during a press conference on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. Bolanos-Anavisca was struck and killed by an impaired driver on Gillespie Street early Friday.
Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright stands by a picture of Cumberland County Sheriffs Deputy Oscar Yovani Bolanos-Anavisca Jr., 23, during a press conference on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. Bolanos-Anavisca was struck and killed by an impaired driver on Gillespie Street early Friday.

The death of Deputy Oscar Yovani Bolanos-Anavisca Jr. is not the first time the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office has grieved the loss of a deputy.

Since 1916, the sheriff’s office has lost 13 men in the line of duty, including Bolanos-Anavisca, 23, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver early Friday morning while investigating a convenience store robbery.

Nicholas Terlizzi, 24, of Coronation Drive, is charged with felony death by vehicle and hit-and-run resulting in death; and misdemeanor driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, driving on a restricted license, driving without insurance and driving without registration, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol charging document. He was also cited with a red light infraction.

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Visitation for Bolanos-Anavisca will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., at the Rivers of Living Water church, 1764 Bingham Drive in Fayetteville.

Burial will follow the service at Rockfish Memorial Park, 4017 Gillespie St. in Fayetteville.

Members of the public are invited to attend along with law enforcement officers and those in the justice field.

Twelve other law enforcement officers with the sheriff's office have died in the line of duty since 1916.

12 deaths from 1916-2005

Deputy Christopher Brian Matthews
Deputy Christopher Brian Matthews

• Deputy Christopher Brian Matthews, 26, was killed in an automobile crash on River Road on Sept. 30, 2005.

Cpl. David Walter Hathcock
Cpl. David Walter Hathcock
State Highway Patrol Trooper Lloyd Lowry
State Highway Patrol Trooper Lloyd Lowry

• Cpl. David Walter Hathcock, 57, was shot and killed along with State Highway Patrol Trooper Lloyd Lowry, 47, off the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 near the N.C. 24 exit just south of Fayetteville on Sept. 23, 1997. Their killers, two brothers, were sentenced to death. Both men's sentences have since been commuted to life in prison.

• Deputy Allen Bernard Lennon, 30, was killed in a wreck during a vehicle pursuit on Bingham Drive on Aug. 11, 1992. The fleeing driver pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Lt. Ronald G. Smith
Lt. Ronald G. Smith

• Auxiliary Lt. Ronald Gordon “R.G.” Smith, 46, was shot and killed after ordering a robber at a convenience store to surrender on Sept. 14, 1977, The killer was convicted of first-degree murder and two counts of robbery and sentenced to life in prison where he remains today.

• Deputy Joe Smith Jr., 41, was shot to death as he sat in his patrol car on Jan. 5, 1974. The killer was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years. He was paroled in 1988.

Deputy Ester Lafayette Lewis, 52, was fatally shot on Highway 15-A (now U.S. 401 Business) near Fayetteville on Dec. 9, 1950, His killer was sentenced to life in prison in 1951 but was paroled in 1982.

• Special Deputy William C. Callahan was shot and killed by a bootlegger at Victory Lake on Feb. 24, 1923. His killer was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 to 30 years but was paroled in 1926.

• Deputy Alfred Jackson Pate was shot and killed July 22, 1921, during a raid on an illegal still in northern Cumberland County. His killer was sentenced to 30 years of hard labor in state prison, but his sentence was commuted and he was released after eight years.

• Deputy Malcon N. Blue was shot and killed Jan. 28, 1921, while attempting to serve a warrant on a Fort Bragg soldier who was threatening a man with a pistol. The killer was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years.

Deputy William Garrison Moore was shot May 21, 1920, and died from his injuries May 23, while attempting to arrest a man who was shooting at people.

• Deputy Sheriff Cashwell Butler was shot and killed May 21, 1920, while he and Moore were attempting to arrest a suspect accused of shooting at people. The killer was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to two to 20 years in prison.

• Deputy Frank James Dees was shot and killed Nov. 20, 1916, while attempting to arrest a suspect for disturbing the peace. His killer was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Source: Officer Down Memorial Page, N.C. Department of Correction, N.C Peace Officers Memorial, archives news stories from The Fayetteville Observer, Raleigh News & Observer and the Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has had 13 line-of-duty deaths