Roll of Honor

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Auxiliary Policeman

William Graves

Sparta Police Department — Sparta, IL

Felonious

End of Watch December 9, 1976

Age 42

The Vigil Panel 118 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Auxiliary Policeman William Graves was shot and killed after responding to the scene of a parole violator who was shooting at officers with an Enfield rifle. The suspect had shot and wounded four other officers. The round that struck Auxiliary Policeman Graves had gone through the arm of another officer. The suspect was finally shot and killed by a state trooper.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-8BCC908A
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.
Auxiliary Policeman Graves served with the Sparta Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Sparta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Auxiliary Policeman Graves.

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

Agency

Department Sparta Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Sparta, Randolph County, IL

Platform Identity spd.randolph.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 9, 1976

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Auxiliary Policeman William Graves 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 IL, 842 of 1,318 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.9% of this state's fallen. That is 63.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Sparta Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

IL — Statewide

842

of 1,318 officers

63.9% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Graves's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How William Graves Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Graves is highlighted in Dec.

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 Graves was killed by rifle.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Sparta Police Department are honored on badge.nw.