Willie D. Smith

Jacksonville Police Department — Jacksonville, FL

Felonious

End of Watch January 19, 1930

Age 40

The Vigil Panel 59 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 32

Incident

Officer Smith was killed by three escaped convicts from Connecticut. Officer Smith and another officer did not know who they were when they walked up to them in their stolen parked car to question them about several local robberies. They opened fire killing Officer Smith and seriously wounding the other officer. One of the suspects was apprehended the next day in Jacksonville. The other two were apprehended a few days later in Pensacola. One of the escapees was serving a life sentence in Connecticut for murdering Trooper Irving H. Nelson of the Connecticut State Police on April 6, 1928. Two of the escapees including the murderer of Trooper Nelson, were convicted of Officer Smith's murder and sentenced to life. All three were returned to Connecticut to serve the remainder of their sentences plus an additional 24 years for escape and motor vehicle theft.

Survivors

Officer Smith was survived by his son and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-DB7E101F
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.
Officer Smith served with the Jacksonville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jacksonville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Smith.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Jacksonville Police Department

Location Jacksonville, FL

Platform Identity jpd.duval.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1930

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to life

Officer Willie D. 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Jacksonville Police Department, 25 of 33 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75.8% of this agency's fallen.

Jacksonville Police Department

of 33 officers

75.8% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious