William N. Campbell
Agency patch
Sergeant

William N. Campbell

Felonious
End of Watch May 30, 1979
Age 41
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
The Vigil Panel 121 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant William Campbell was shot and killed by a subject who had entered his police car and started using the radio in front of the police station. Sergeant Campbell was walking out of the 6th District Police Station on Ruskin Avenue when the prisoner was able to fire a shotgun that was kept in the patrol car. The shot struck Sergeant Campbell in the chest, killing him. The man was shot and killed by other officers when he attempted to escape. Sergeant Campbell had been with the agency for 12 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-11CD7888
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.
Sergeant Campbell gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Campbell.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 30, 1979
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 41
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's shotgun

Sergeant William N. Campbell 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. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 112 of 176 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.6% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
112
of 176 officers
63.6% 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. William N. Campbell's cause is highlighted.

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

How William N. Campbell Compares

Age at Death
41
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
12
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William N. Campbell is highlighted in May.

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. William N. Campbell was killed by officer's shotgun.

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

Incident Location