William R. Berte

Springfield Police Department — Springfield, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 8, 1973

Age 27

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 111 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 18

Incident

Officer William Berte was shot and killed by another officer in the department's garage. Patrolman Berte had gone to the police garage to pick up a cruiser. He and a patrolman assigned to the garage began arguing as they filled his cruiser with gasoline. The argument turned into a scuffle, and the patrolman was shot with a service revolver. He died at Wesson Memorial Hospital. The other officer was charged with murder. Officer Berte was a United States Coast Guard veteran and had served with the Springfield Police Department for 3 years. He was survived by his wife, a son, two daughters, his mother, and three sisters. He is buried at Saint Michael's Cemetary, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, a son, two daughters, his mother, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-E60A589C
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Coast Guard. One record, 2 gates. William is one person.

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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 Berte gave the Springfield Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield 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

Department Springfield Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Springfield, Hampden County, MA

Platform Identity spd.hampden.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 8, 1973

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

William R. Berte served in the U.S. Coast Guard before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer William R. Berte 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In MA, 199 of 469 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.4% of this state's fallen. That is 42.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Springfield Police Department, 7 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.8% of this agency's fallen.

Springfield Police Department

of 19 officers

36.8% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious