Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

Willard E. Pruitt Jr.

Wilmington Police Department — Wilmington, DE

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 7, 1944

Age 31

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Badge 89

The Vigil Panel 80 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 10

Incident

Patrolman Willard Pruitt was killed in a motorcycle crash while pursuing a suspect at 30th Street and North Monroe in Wilmington at 2 pm. He was a United States Army and Deleware National Guard veteran who had served with the Wilmington Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-DE-1CCB4015
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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Also honored at salute.nw. One record, 2 gates. Willard is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Pruitt gave the Wilmington Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Wilmington community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Wilmington Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Wilmington, New Castle County, DE

Platform Identity wpd.newcastle.de.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 7, 1944

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 31

Badge Number 89

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Willard E. Pruitt Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Willard E. Pruitt Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In DE, 19 of 51 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.3% of this state's fallen. That is 37.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Wilmington Police Department, 3 of 11 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.3% of this agency's fallen.

Wilmington Police Department

of 11 officers

27.3% Accident

DE — Statewide

of 51 officers

37.3% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident