William R. Ramsey Jr.
Agency patch
Special Agent

William R. Ramsey Jr.

Felonious
End of Watch May 3, 1938
Age 34
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 74 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Special Agent William Ramsey was shot and killed as he and other agents attempted to arrest two bank robbery suspects in Penfield, Illinois. The agents were able to take one suspect into custody but as they attempted to arrest the second suspect they were engaged in a shootout. Agent Ramsey was shot and mortally wounded and the suspect was also shot and killed. Agent Ramsey was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds the following morning. Agent Ramsey had served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for five years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-1B376CBE
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.
Special Agent Ramsey gave the United States Department of Justice 5 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Ramsey.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdjfbifed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 3, 1938
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Special Agent William R. Ramsey Jr. 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, 37 of 89 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 41.6% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation
37
of 89 officers
41.6% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William R. Ramsey Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How William R. Ramsey Jr. Compares

Age at Death
34
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William R. Ramsey Jr. is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William R. Ramsey Jr. was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909