Coshocton Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Monday, July 19, 1976
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Badge Number: 1
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 19, 1976
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Eligible for parole in 2030
Patrolman Sanford Stanley was shot and killed at the Coshocton Police Department by a man he had given a warning during a traffic stop.
It was never determined what prompted the suspect to seek out Patrolman Stanley and start firing. Earlier in the evening, Patrolman Stanley had seen the suspect hit a bridge abutment and let him go with a warning.
After the warning, the suspect went to his house, grabbed three guns, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 Magnum revolver, and a .22-250 rifle, filled a bag with extra ammunition, and went looking for Patrolman Stanley.
Patrolman Stanley had returned to the police station and was standing in a back room when the suspect walked through an unlocked side door, strolled up to the officer, and shot him with the shotgun at 9:12 pm. Patrolman Stanley made his way through the station to the front, but the suspect chased him and shot him again with the revolver. He was transported to Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds less than an hour later.
The 31-year-old suspect was convicted of Patrolman Stanley's murder and sentenced to death, but his death sentence was commuted to life. He was denied parole for the fourth time in 2016. He will be eligible for parole again on December 1, 2030.
Patrolman Stanley was a United States Army Korean War veteran and had served with the Coshocton Police Department for 17 years. He is survived by his four daughters.