White County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
End of Watch: Thursday, January 31, 1924
Age: 47
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 31, 1924
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Deputy William Welch was shot and killed as he and several other deputies raided a still 16 miles south of Crossville.
The deputies had positioned themselves inside of a small house that sat above the still. The suspects, who had been warned that the deputies were in the area, approached the house cautiously and observed the men inside. One of the suspects opened fire with a shotgun at the same time that Deputy Welch returned fire with a rifle. Both men were struck. The other deputies also returned fire, killing both suspects.
Deputy Welch was survived by his wife and six children.