Charleston Police Department, West Virginia
End of Watch: Wednesday, September 29, 1948
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 29, 1948
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 18 years
Patrolman William Smith was shot and killed by the wife of a man he was attempting to arrest outside a bar in the 600 block of Court Street.
The woman and her husband were arguing loudly and profanely on a street corner. Patrolman Smith attempted to arrest the man when his warning to be more quite was ignored. As he struggled with the man the wife shot him in the back of the head.
The woman was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to five to 18 years in the women's prison at Pence Springs on March 4th, 1949.
Patrolman Smith was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Charleston Police Department for 16 years. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.