Donald C. Sparks

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO

Felonious

End of Watch March 4, 1963

Age 33

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 175

Incident

Police Officer Donald Sparks was shot and killed after stopping a robbery suspect at Grand Boulevard and Castleman Avenue following a grocery store robbery. The suspect, 32, was arrested several hours later by other officers. The ex-convict was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The Missouri Supreme Court awarded him a new trial and he was sentenced to life.

Survivors

Officer Sparks had been with the agency for ten years and was survived by his wife and 9-year-old daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-37285084
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.
Police Officer Sparks gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Sparks.

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

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

Type Police Department

Location St. Louis, MO

Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1963

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Police Officer Donald C. Sparks 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 112 of 176 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.6% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

112

of 176 officers

63.6% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious