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Town Marshal

William Gallion

Bancroft Police Department — Bancroft, IA

Felonious

End of Watch October 10, 1896

The Vigil Panel 14 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Town Marshal William Gallion was shot and killed by a bank robber held up in a farm house that he and his posse had surrounded. The suspect jumped from a window where Marshal Gallion was stationed. Before he could react, the suspect shot him in the chest with a revolver, and then mounted his bicycle and rode off with the posse in pursuit. After he rode about a mile his tire went flat. As the posse closed in he shot and killed himself.

The suspect and another man shot and killed a cashier and an innocent bystander when they robbed a bank in Sherburne County, Minnesota, the day before.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-2069420E
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

130 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Town Marshal Gallion served with the Bancroft Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Bancroft community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Bancroft Police Department

Location Bancroft, IA

Platform Identity bpd.kossuth.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 10, 1896

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Revolver

Offender Committed Suicide

Town Marshal William Gallion 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 IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

Bancroft Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

IA — Statewide

129

of 226 officers

57.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Gallion's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How William Gallion Compares

Offender Outcome

Committed Suicide

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Gallion is highlighted in Oct.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Gallion was killed by handgun; revolver.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518