Eric Williams
Agency patch
Senior Officer Specialist

Eric Williams

Felonious
End of Watch February 25, 2013
Age 34
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 162 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Pennsylvania Weapon: Edged weapon; Shank Offender: Sentenced to life

Senior Officer Specialist Eric Williams was stabbed to death by an inmate inside the housing unit at USP Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania, at approximately 11:30 p.m.

The inmate attacked Officer Williams and stabbed him with a shank before being subdued by other officers. Officer Williams was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

The inmate, 36, was serving a life sentence for a 2008 murder conviction, committed in 2002 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was serving an 11 year sentence in federal prison for selling cocaine. On June 7, 2017, he was convicted of Officer Williams' murder and received another life sentence.

Officer Williams had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 18 months.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents, sister, and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-CC2442EA
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

You barely got started.
Senior Officer Specialist Williams gave the United States Department of Justice 1 year.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Senior Officer Specialist Williams.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdjfbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 25, 2013
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon; Shank

Senior Officer Specialist Eric Williams 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons, 26 of 34 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
26
of 34 officers
76.5% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% 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. Eric Williams's cause is highlighted.

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

How Eric Williams Compares

Age at Death
34
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1.5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Eric Williams is highlighted in Feb.

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. Eric Williams was killed by edged weapon; shank.

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

Incident Location