Roll of Honor
Incident
Marshal Giles was shot and killed while attempting to quell an argument in a local saloon. An inebriated patron of the saloon and a roulette operator had become engaged in an argument and the patron, upset over his losses, threatened the operator with a gun. When Marshal Giles asked the man to put his gun away the man shot him four times. Marshal Giles returned fire but did not strike the suspect, who later turned himself in. The suspect, himself a deputy from Navajo County, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years but was pardoned after only a few years.
Survivors
Marshal Giles had been with the agency for less than one year and was survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, his mother, two brothers, and four sisters.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-AZ-A7D1AAFB- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
Town Marshal Giles gave the Winslow Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Winslow community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Town Marshal Giles.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Town Marshal William Joe Giles 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 AZ, 204 of 330 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Joe Giles's cause is highlighted.
How William Joe Giles Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 25 Years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Joe Giles is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Joe Giles was killed by gun; unknown type.