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Police Officer

William Elvin Hickman

Indianola Police Department — Indianola, IA

Illness

End of Watch December 6, 1957

Age 63

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 93 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Police Officer William Hickman succumbed to complications of an internal injury he sustained while assisting at a crash scene near the intersection of East 2nd Avenue and South 5th Street on November 1st, 1957.

He had responded to the scene of a crash involving a vehicle that struck a large drain tile in the roadway. He suffered an internal abdominal injury as he attempted to move the drain tile out of the roadway.

The following month he underwent surgery as a result of the injury. He developed a fatal pulmonary embolism after the surgery.

Officer Hickman had served with the Indianola Police Department for 11 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-53A406A6
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Hickman gave the Indianola Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Indianola community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Hickman.

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

Agency

Department Indianola Police Department

Location Indianola, IA

Platform Identity ipd.warren.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 6, 1957

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 63

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail Duty related illness

Police Officer William Elvin Hickman is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IA, 12 of 226 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.3% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

Indianola Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Illness

IA — Statewide

of 226 officers

5.3% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Elvin Hickman's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How William Elvin Hickman Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Illness: 47.8 years

Years of Service