Roll of Honor
Incident
Town Marshal Dock Willis succumbed to his wounds when he was shot in downtown Milan on April 16, 1922, in retaliation for an arrest the night before.
Sometime in the early afternoon, Marshal Willis was in front of a drugstore engaging with a citizen. He was approached by three brothers, one of them opening fire, shooting him three times. While on the ground, he returned fire and struck the shooter in the leg.
Marshal Willis was transported to a hospital in Macon to recover. He died of his wounds on May 9, 1922, twenty-three days later.
The shooter had been arrested the night before for drunkenness by Marshal Willis. He was released the next morning, believing that he had sobered up. After the shooting, the brothers were arrested for murder. The shooter was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The other two brothers were charged, but their status is unknown.
Marshal Willis had served as marshal of Milan for just over five months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and several children.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-GA-63117FED- Stewardship
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- 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.
Town Marshal Willis served with the Milan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Milan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Town Marshal Willis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Town Marshal William D "Dock" Willis 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 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 D "Dock" Willis's cause is highlighted.
How William D "Dock" Willis Compares
Offender Outcome
Life Imprisonment
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William D "Dock" Willis is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William D "Dock" Willis was killed by gun; unknown type.