Roll of Honor
Incident
The attack occurred at 3:00pm when members of the Neighbourhood Policing Unit were on mobile patrol driving along Friendly Street in the Markets district of Belfast.
The terrorists fired a warhead from a homemade rocket launcher into an RUC Land Rover. The device struck the driver’s door and exploded, killing Constable Beacom and injuring two other police officers.
A man who had been delivering leaflets for a nearby church said he heard the explosion and saw the policemen climbing out of the Land Rover.
He said that “they were really shocked. They were frightened and shocked and I assured them that I was there to help them and I got into the Land Rover and I held the policeman. I asked his colleague what was his name. He told me it was Johnston and I kept pleading with him to “hold on Johnston, hold on, and hold on, Jesus loves you”. I got in behind him and I held his head and I held his arms and his hands and I held them around him and that’s the only consolation I could give him, to talk and call the name of Jesus to him. That’s the only thing I could do for him. He wasn’t able to say anything. He died before the ambulance came”.
William was survived by his wife and their three children.
Survivors
William was survived by his wife and their three children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-GB-RUC-1B9C6BEE- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 8, 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.
Constable Beacom served with the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Beacom.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable William Johnston Beacom 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 NIR, 422 of 599 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.5% of this state's fallen. That is 16.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Royal Ulster Constabulary GC, 351 of 469 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 74.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Johnston Beacom's cause is highlighted.
How William Johnston Beacom Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Johnston Beacom is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
468 officers from Royal Ulster Constabulary GC are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
