Roll of Honor
William Allen Adkins
Incident
Location: Arkansas Weapon: Rifle Offender: 22 charged with murder
Special Agent W.D. Adkins was shot and killed from ambush in the area of Hoop Spur, Phillips County, Arkansas.
Agent Adkins was accompanying a Phillips County sheriff's deputy and a jail trusty to arrest several members of a family who had been involved in a disturbance. During the drive their vehicle suffered a punctured tire and they pulled over in front of the Hoop Spur Church.
Unbeknownst to the officers, black sharecroppers were in the church holding a planning a meeting in an effort to obtain higher payments from white plantation owners in the area. The meeting organizers had placed armed guards around the church to prevent opponents from entering. Believing Agent Adkins and the deputy were there to disrupt the meeting, the men opened fire on them without warning. Agent Adkins was killed and the deputy was wounded.
The events resulted in a large race war in Phillips County over the following weeks in which multiple black and white citizens were killed. Twenty-two people were eventually charged with murder.
Special Agent Adkins was survived by his wife and two children.
Survivors
Special Agent Adkins was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-DED8C334- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Special Agent Adkins served with the Missouri Pacific Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Adkins.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent William Allen Adkins 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 MI, 426 of 719 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.2% of this state's fallen. That is 59.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Missouri Pacific Railroad Police Department, 7 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Allen Adkins's cause is highlighted.
How William Allen Adkins Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Allen Adkins is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Allen Adkins was killed by rifle.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Missouri Pacific Railroad Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
