Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy City Marshal William Patterson died of a gunshot wound he received the previous day after responding to a disturbance call at a local church.
When Deputy Patterson arrived he found that three suspects had broken several windows at the church. As he attempted to take the suspects into custody, one of the men drew a hidden handgun and shot him in the abdomen. Deputy Patterson died from the wound the next day.
The primary suspect was a 17-year-old youth. He was injured by the officer and later lost an arm due to gangrene. He was acquitted of murder by reason of self-defense.
Deputy Patterson had served with the Beaumont Police Department for eight years.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-9DE99E2F- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
145 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy City Marshal Patterson gave the Beaumont Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Beaumont community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy City Marshal William E. Patterson 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%.
At Beaumont Police Department, 9 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William E. Patterson's cause is highlighted.
How William E. Patterson Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William E. Patterson is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
20 officers from Beaumont Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
