Roll of Honor
William Holand Wolford
Incident
Deputy Prohibition Officer William Wolford was shot and killed in Higginsville, West Virginia, while assisting another officer serve an arrest warrant on a man for manufacturing liquor.
When they arrived at the subject's home a second individual fled from the rear of the house. The other officer pursued the man on foot until he heard a gunshot fired from the house. He returned to the home to discover that Officer Wolford had been shot by a shotgun blast.
The wanted subject, who was the surviving officer's first cousin, was taken into custody and charged in connection with Officer Wolford's murder.
Officer Wolford had been deputized that day to assist with making the arrest.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and 10 children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-0967E717- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Prohibition Officer Wolford served with the West Virginia Department of Prohibition.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Prohibition Officer Wolford.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Prohibition Officer William Holand Wolford 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 West Virginia Department of Prohibition, 12 of 13 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 92.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Holand Wolford's cause is highlighted.
How William Holand Wolford Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Holand Wolford is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
12 officers from West Virginia Department of Prohibition are honored on badge.nw.
