William Jefferson Smith

Charleston Police Dept. — Charleston, WV

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch September 29, 1948

Age 51

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

The Vigil Panel 85 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Patrolman William Smith was shot and killed by the wife of a man he was attempting to arrest outside a bar in the 600 block of Court Street. The woman and her husband were arguing loudly and profanely on a street corner. Patrolman Smith attempted to arrest the man when his warning to be more quite was ignored. As he struggled with the man the wife shot him in the back of the head. The woman was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to five to 18 years in the women's prison at Pence Springs on March 4th, 1949. Patrolman Smith was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Charleston Police Department for 16 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WV-92564735
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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.
Patrolman Smith gave the Charleston Police Department 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston 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 Charleston Police Dept.

Location Charleston, WV

Platform Identity charpd.kanawha.wv.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 29, 1948

Tour of Duty 16 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .45 caliber

Offender Sentenced to 18 years

Military Service

William Jefferson Smith served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman William Jefferson Smith 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 WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Charleston Police Dept., 6 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Charleston Police Dept.

of 9 officers

66.7% Felonious

WV — Statewide

169

of 232 officers

72.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious