The final radio call rang through Greensboro’s Westover Church. Police officers from across North Carolina, and some from as far as California and Canada, filled the pews in the cavernous sanctuary.
“All units, Badge 873, Sgt. Dale Nix, is 10-42 for the final time. End of watch Dec. 30, 2023. Thank you for your service. We have the watch from here.”
Sounds from a 21-gun salute blasted outside the church Thursday afternoon after the funeral.
What You Need To Know
- Police from across the state joined community members Thursday at a funeral for Greensboro Police Sgt. Philip Dale Nix, 49
- Nix was shot and killed at a Sheetz gas station in December while attempting to stop a crime
- Friends and colleagues remembered Nix for his mentorship, as a victim advocate and an important part of the Guilford County Family Justice Center
- A teenager has been charged with murder in the case and two others were charged with accessory
Sgt. Philip Dale Nix was shot and killed outside a Sheetz gas station in Greensboro Dec. 30.
He was off duty when he tried to stop three people from stealing beer at the Sheetz gas station on Sandy Ridge Road in Colfax, a community outside of Greensboro.
An 18-year-old is facing a murder charge in connection with the shooting. Two other men, 18 and 28, are charged with felony accessory after the fact.
At Thursday’s funeral, Nix, a 23-year veteran of the Greensboro Police Department, was remembered as a devoted victim advocate and mentor.
He led the police department’s family victims unit and worked closely with the Guilford County Family Justice Center.
“Dale would sit with victims of abuse and look them in the eye and say, you got this, you do not deserve to be hurt, and your life matters,” Sonya Desai, manager of the Family Justice Center, said at the funeral.
“He had a presence that could calm a victim down in a heartbeat,” she said.
Desai said she and Nix worked closely together over the years, in the day-to-day operations at the center and presenting at local and national conferences about their work.
Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson remembered Nix for his devotion to the job and for his sense of humor.
Nix’s family had a long history working in the fire department, the chief said, but Nix opted to join the police department. Thompson said Nix’s mother would tease him, saying he brought the donuts to the family events.
But Nix would say, “I chose to become a police officer because firefighters need heroes too,” Thompson said at the funeral.
“Sgt. Nix was a devoted guardian of the city,” the chief said. “He sought to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”
In an interview after attending the funeral, Gov. Roy Cooper told reporters, “To see the community pull together to honor him, you can tell he made a big difference in the lives of so many."
"I've learned over the past few days what an extraordinary man Sgt. Nix was," he said. "He was doing his job even when he wasn't on the job, and that's extraordinary."
Nix is survived by his wife of 20 years, Kelly Nix, and his son William Nix; mother, Sue Nix and father, Eddie Nix; brother, Dan Nix and wife Amy.
The Greensboro Police Officers Association is raising money for Nix's family through the Help a Hero website.
"The Greensboro Police Officers Association mourns the death of one of its members - Sergeant Philip Dale Nix. Sergeant Nix, who was off duty, was tragically gunned down on Saturday, December 30, 2023, while attempting to stop a crime in progress," the association said.
"All proceeds collected will go directly to the Nix family to help cover any immediate or future costs that may arise," according to the site.