Tucson Police Department, Arizona
End of Watch: Saturday, July 26, 1902
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 26, 1902
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentence commuted to 30 years
Officer William Katzenstein was shot and killed after responding to assist the fire department at a fire on South Meyer Street, near Broadway Avenue.
Officer Katzenstein, who also served as the assistant chief of the Tucson Fire Department, placed his gunbelt in the Occidental Hotel and went back to the scene to assist with fighting the fire. As he was opening a fire hydrant he was ambushed and shot five times by a man who was seeking revenge for a friend who had been arrested by Officer Katzenstein.
The subject, 22, who shot him was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death. In 1906 Governor Joseph H. Kibbey commuted his sentence to life after doctors failed to agree about his sanity. In 1919 his life sentence was commuted to 30 years making him eligible for parole in 1924.
Officer Katzenstein had served with the Tucson Police Department for two years and had previously served with the Sacramento, California, Police Department. He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and siblings.