Cornelius W. White
Agency patch
Detective

Cornelius W. White

Tulsa Police Department — Tulsa, OK
Felonious
End of Watch May 18, 1951
Age 53
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
The Vigil Panel 87 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective C.W. White was shot and killed while transporting a rape suspect to jail. The subject pulled out a concealed .32 caliber pistol and shot Detective White in the chest near the intersection of 1st Street and Elgin Street. The man fled on foot but was surrounded by officers on North Greenwood Avenue, and a shootout ensued. Two officers were wounded before the subject was shot and killed. Detective White had served with the Tulsa Police Department for 15 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-B101B013
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective White gave the Tulsa Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Tulsa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective White.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Tulsa, OK
Platform Identity tpd.tulsa.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1951
Tour of Duty 15 yrs
Age 53
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Detective Cornelius W. White is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 69.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Tulsa Police Department, 30 of 42 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Tulsa Police Department
30
of 42 officers
71.4% Felonious
OK — Statewide
403
of 582 officers
69.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Cornelius W. White's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Cornelius W. White Compares

Age at Death
53
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
15
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Cornelius W. White is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Cornelius W. White was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location