William B. McDaniel

Cedar Rapids Police Department — Cedar Rapids, IA

Accident

End of Watch January 7, 1885

Age 47

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 8 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Captain William McDaniel was struck and killed by a Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway train about three-quarters of a mile north of Solon, Iowa. He and another officer had traveled to Solon after learning that a murder suspect may have fled there. They were crossing the bridge when a freight train approached. The other officer was able to jump from the bridge without getting struck, however, Captain McDaniel was struck and thrown into the creek below. The other officer pulled him from the creek and he was taken into town on the train. He died about 10 minutes later. As the officer changed into dry clothes in Solon the suspect was spotted walking along the tracks and was taken into custody. Captain McDaniel had served with the Cedar Rapids Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-435D1926
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

141 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Captain McDaniel gave the Cedar Rapids Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cedar Rapids community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Cedar Rapids Police Department

Location Cedar Rapids, IA

Platform Identity crpd.linn.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 7, 1885

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 47

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Captain William B. McDaniel is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Cedar Rapids Police Department, 3 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Cedar Rapids Police Department

of 6 officers

50% Accident

IA — Statewide

of 226 officers

31.4% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident