Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable William Smith was shot and killed in Plymouth by a suspect who had just been arrested on a warrant for threatening to kill the Plymouth marshal. The marshal had requested Constable Smith come to Plymouth from Chicago Junction to assist with serving the warrant. After placing the suspect under arrest at his residence, Constable Smith and the marshal let the suspect re-enter his home to retrieve a coat. When the suspect exited the house, he was holding a 12-gauge shotgun. The suspect then said, "It's come to this," and fired, killing Constable Smith and wounding the marshal. The man fled and was never apprehended. Constable Smith served as the constable of Chicago Junction for three years, which was renamed Willard in 1917.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-CA2E0720- 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
127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Smith gave the Willard Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Willard community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable William L. Smith 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 57.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Willard Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William L. Smith's cause is highlighted.
How William L. Smith Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William L. Smith is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William L. Smith was killed by shotgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Willard Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
