Walter A. Wood
Agency patch
Corporal

Walter A. Wood

St. Joseph Police Department — St. Joseph, MO
Felonious
End of Watch April 4, 1926
Age 44
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
The Vigil Panel 50 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Corporal Walter Wood was shot and killed when he interrupted two subjects burglarizing a billiards hall at 723-1/2 Edmond Street at about 4:30 am. He was walking to meet two other officers at the intersection of 8th Street and Felix Street when he encountered the two men standing at the 8th Street entrance to the billiards hall. The men opened fire on him without warning, fatally wounding him. Corporal Wood had served with the St. Joseph Police Department for two years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-87189960
Stewardship
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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.
Corporal Wood gave the St. Joseph Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Joseph community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Wood.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO
Platform Identity sjpd.buchanan.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 4, 1926
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 44
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Corporal Walter A. Wood 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. Joseph Police Department, 7 of 13 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.8% of this agency's fallen.

St. Joseph Police Department
7
of 13 officers
53.8% Felonious
MO — Statewide
516
of 813 officers
63.5% 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. Walter A. Wood's cause is highlighted.

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

How Walter A. Wood Compares

Age at Death
44
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
2
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Walter A. Wood is highlighted in Apr.

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. Walter A. Wood was killed by gun.

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

Incident Location