Community gathers to honor Sergeant Philip Dale Nix

Hundreds of people gathered in Greensboro Wednesday to honor Sergeant Philip Dale Nix, who was shot and killed on Saturday.

Community members, anti-violence activists, law enforcement officers, and local political leaders all lit candles at Phil McDonald Plaza in remembrance of Sergeant Nix, who was killed after intervening in an attempted robbery while off-duty. He served with the Greensboro Police Department for 23 years.

Several speakers said Nix spent his career advocating for crime victims and working to prevent violence. One was Catherine Johnson, who worked alongside Nix at Guilford County’s Family Justice Center.

“For someone who dedicated his career to homicide prevention, it is unimaginable that his life would end in a homicide,” said Johnson.

U.S. Representative Kathy Manning and City Councilmember ​​Marikay Abuzuaiter also addressed the crowd. An emotional John Thompson, Greensboro’s chief of police, noted the city’s high homicide numbers in his remarks.

“I'm not really sure if anything I can say can express the grief and the hurt that not only our agency, the Greensboro Police Department, but our community is feeling right now,” Thompson said. “Last year, we lost 74 people in our community to homicide. Sergeant Dale Nix was one of those victims.”

The number represents a significant increase over 2022 when around 40 homicides were reported.

Three people have been charged in connection with Nix’s death.