Incident
Marshal Charles Norris was shot and killed in the Mackinaw police station.
Marshal Norris had interrupted the burglary of a hardware store across the street from the police station and arrested two suspects. He took them back to the police station, at which point he was overpowered and shot with his own service weapon.
The suspects fled the scene with Marshal Norris' service weapon and several other firearms stolen from the hardware store.
The suspects were eventually apprehended, along with a third man who drove the getaway car. The suspect who shot Marshall Norris was sentenced to 45 years in prison. The other suspect was sentenced to 14 years on September 25, 1957. The driver was sentenced to one year to life for burglary.
The suspect who shot Marshal Norris was paroled on November 10, 1965. In 1972 he was arrested for aggravated assault after he beat Marshal Noris' wife and threatened her and her daughter with a gun.
Marshal Norris was a United States Army World War I veteran and had served with the Mackinaw Police Department for 20 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his mother, wife, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-90823DF3- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Village Marshal Norris gave the Mackinaw Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mackinaw community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles H. Norris served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Village Marshal Charles H. Norris is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 9.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles H. Norris's cause is highlighted.
How Charles H. Norris Compares
Offender Outcome
Paroled in 1965
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles H. Norris is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Charles H. Norris was killed by officer's handgun.