William J. Street

Huntsville Police Department — Huntsville, AL

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch October 8, 1883

Age 42

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 7 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 12

Incident

Officer William Street was killed when he was struck in the head with an axe as he investigated a disturbance at a home near the city's fairgrounds at Holmes Avenue and Pulaski Pike. When he arrived at the home he found it to be occupied by a single man. As he began to leave another man, who had been hidden in a closet, came up from behind and struck him on the head with the axe. The killer was taken from jail by an angry mob of citizens and lynched. Officer Street was a Confederate Civil War Veteran who served in Russell's 4th Alabama Calvary as a private.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-53E8EEB8
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.
Officer Street gave the Huntsville Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville 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 Huntsville Police Department

Location Huntsville, AL

Platform Identity hpd.madison.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 8, 1883

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Axe

Offender Lynched

Military Service

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

Officer William J. Street 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Huntsville Police Department, 7 of 13 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.8% of this agency's fallen.

Huntsville Police Department

of 13 officers

53.8% Felonious

AL — Statewide

405

of 643 officers

63% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious