Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police William Marker died as the result of fracturing his skull while chasing a prisoner whom he had arrested at the Darke County Fairgrounds.
The man was drunk and had acted indecently in front of several girls and women in the lady’s restroom. Chief Marker had placed him under arrest and was taking him to the Greenville city jail on a streetcar. As the streetcar neared the intersection of Washington Avenue and Cypress Street the man suddenly jumped to the roadway.
Chief Marker jumped from the streetcar but lost his footing and fell, striking his head on the brick road surface. The impact caused him to suffer a skull fracture. He died a short time later while being carried to a doctor's office.
The subject who ran was arrested several minutes later. He was charged with indecent conduct in the presence of small girls.
Chief Marker had served as the police chief of the annual week-long fair for four years. He was survived by his wife. He was predeceased by his infant son.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-OH-2215069F- Stewardship
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- 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.
Chief of Police Marker gave the Darke County Fairgrounds Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Marker.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police William Marker is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Marker's cause is highlighted.
How William Marker Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William Marker is highlighted in Aug.