Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Chester Shack was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow officer who mistook him for a burglar at the corner of Fourth Street and Trader's Avenue.
The two officers were patrolling the same area while on night-time patrol. As Patrolman Shack checked the rear door of a business, the other officer mistook him for a burglar and fired a shot at him. The round struck Patrolman Shack in the chest. He died as the other patrolman tried to carry him to assistance.
Patrolman Shack was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Clarksburg Police Department for one year.
He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-CD7A5800- 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.
Patrolman Shack gave the Clarksburg Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Clarksburg 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
Chester Leo Shack served in the Army (1942â1945) before joining law enforcement.
Patrolman Chester Leo Shack is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In WV, 54 of 232 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.3% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Chester Leo Shack's cause is highlighted.
How Chester Leo Shack Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Chester Leo Shack is highlighted in Aug.