William A. Clark

Jacksonville Police Department — Jacksonville, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 30, 1883

Age 39

The Vigil Panel 7 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

City Marshal William Clark was shot and killed while confronting a man he observed carrying a pistol in violation of the city ordinance.

Marshal Clark confronted the man, who had the pistol in his hand, and demanded that he surrender the weapon. The man refused, cocked the pistol, and told Marshal Clark not to approach him. The man then crossed the street, and the marshal followed. The subject then shot at Marshal Clark, the second shot striking him in the bowels. Both men then emptied their .44 caliber pistols at each other. The marshal started walking down the street and told the gathering crowd that he had been killed. The subject went to his father’s house, retrieved a shotgun, and came back searching for Marshal Clark. The man was arrested before he could shoot the marshal with the shotgun.

The subject was convicted of manslaughter in the death of Marshal Clark and sentenced to four years in prison. He appealed, and the case was reversed due to a technicality. The state never established the date and time of the homicide or the county. The man was retried in June of 1885 and sentenced to two years in prison.

Marshal Clark died two days later, on Thursday, August 30th, 1883. He gave a dying declaration and said goodbye to his wife and friends before dying.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and at least two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-E5C9AFEA
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 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.
City Marshal Clark served with the Jacksonville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jacksonville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Jacksonville Police Department

Type Other

Location Jacksonville, Cherokee County, TX

Platform Identity jpd.cherokee.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 30, 1883

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .44 caliber

Military Service

William A. Clark served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

City Marshal William A. Clark 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Jacksonville Police Department, 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Jacksonville Police Department

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,460

of 2,421 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious