Roll of Honor
William DeWayne Jones, Sr.
Incident
Police Officer William Jones was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop at Zilker Park.
Officer Jones was speaking with the driver of the vehicle when the man opened fire, striking him in the chest twice and the neck once. Officer Jones, who was not wearing a vest, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
More than 200 youth soccer teams were attending an international soccer tournament at the park at the time of the shooting.
The suspect fled the scene but was spotted several hours later near Houston, Texas, approximately 150 miles away. After a short chase, the suspect committed suicide. He had already served time in prison and was currently wanted by another jurisdiction for sexual assault.
A memorial to Officer Jones was erected by public contributions and city of Austin funds in Zilker Park at the intersection of Robert E. Lee Road and Barton Springs Road, near the location of his fatal shooting.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-BA0323A6- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Jones gave the Austin Park Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William DeWayne Jones, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer William DeWayne Jones, Sr. is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William DeWayne Jones, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How William DeWayne Jones, Sr. Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William DeWayne Jones, Sr. is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.