William A. Connelly

East Orange Police Department — East Orange, NJ

Felonious

End of Watch October 6, 1965

Age 57

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 100 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Sergeant Willliam Connelly was shot and killed on North 18th Street while attempting to arrest a man for driving a stolen car at about noon. The two began to struggle after the man got out of the stolen car and Sergeant Connolly was then shot. The 32-year-old suspect was apprehended by FBI agents in Newark in March of 1966. The suspect, at one time a popular boxer, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life at hard labor on December 9, 1966. Sergeant Connelly had been employed with the East Orange Police Department for 27 years.

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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

27 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Connelly gave the East Orange Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the East Orange community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Connelly.

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

Agency

Department East Orange Police Department

Type Police Department

Location East Orange, Essex County, NJ

Platform Identity eopd.essex.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 6, 1965

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Sergeant William A. Connelly 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 NJ, 229 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.4% of this state's fallen. That is 35.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At East Orange Police Department, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

East Orange Police Department

of 5 officers

60% Felonious

NJ — Statewide

229

of 646 officers

35.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious