Roll of Honor
Incident
City Marshal Walter Meloan was shot and killed as he was attempting to break up a fight on an excursion boat.
The boat had just arrived from Quincy, Illinois, with 300 passengers on board when a fight broke out between a man and a woman. As Marshal Meloan attempted to arrest the man, a shot was fired from within the crowd, which struck him in the back, killing him instantly.
Four suspects were arrested and confined in the local jail. That night an angry mob forcefully removed two of the suspects and hanged them from the nearest tree.
City Marshal Meloan, On today, the 125th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of Clarksville.
R.I.P. USBP
Anonymous United States Border Patrol June 5th, 2023
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-MO-022FB70C- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
City Marshal Meloan served with the Clarksville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Clarksville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal Walter Meloan 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 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 9.3 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. Walter Meloan's cause is highlighted.
How Walter Meloan Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Walter Meloan is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Walter Meloan was killed by gun; unknown type.