Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police William Kittrell was shot and killed while he and one of his officers attempted to arrest a woman during a domestic dispute. The woman and her father, who was trying to get her out of town, were at the local train depot when the officers attempted to stop them. The father opened fire on the officers, striking Chief Kittrell in the spine. The other officer was able to return fire and kill the suspect. Chief Kittrell was survived by his wife, four daughters, and an unborn son. He was the first Gainesville officer to be killed in the line of duty.
Survivors
Chief Kittrell was survived by his wife, four daughters, and an unborn son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-76ED2583- 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
136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Chief of Police Kittrell served with the Gainesville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Gainesville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police William James Kittrell 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Gainesville Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William James Kittrell's cause is highlighted.
How William James Kittrell Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William James Kittrell is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William James Kittrell was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Gainesville Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
