Roll of Honor
Incident
Marshal Sanford was shot and killed at 1400 hours when he was ambushed while eating in a local restaurant. A suspect approached the man and shot him without saying a word. The suspect was apprehended by the military.
Rest in peace City Marshal Sanford.
Rabbi Lewis S. Davis November 20th, 2022
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-D7448D87- 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
158 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
City Marshal Sanford served with the Jefferson Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jefferson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal William Dean Sanford 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Dean Sanford's cause is highlighted.
How William Dean Sanford Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Dean Sanford is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Dean Sanford was killed by gun; unknown type.