Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Bill Osborne and his 17-year-old son were shot and killed by a man who was seeking revenge against the chief for a previous shooting. The chief had shot and wounded the suspect's uncle the previous week while attempting to arrest him.
The man went to Chief Osborne's home and opened fire without warning, killing Chief Osborne and mortally wounding his son. Despite the wound, he was able to return fire and fatally shoot the suspect.
Chief Osborne was survived by his wife and 12 children.
Survivors
Chief Osborne was survived by his wife and 12 children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-D572C34A- 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.
Chief of Police Osborne served with the Martin Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Martin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Osborne.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police William Lou Osborne 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 97,775 officers honored here.
In KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 76.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Lou Osborne's cause is highlighted.
How William Lou Osborne Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Lou Osborne is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Lou Osborne was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Martin Police Department are honored on badge.nw.