Clarence Woolman

Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office — Council Bluffs, IA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 25, 1911

Age 33

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 25 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Clarence Woolman was shot and killed by a prisoner in the Kirkwood Hotel, at 400 Walnut Street, in Des Moines, Iowa. He was transporting the prisoner to the State Hospital for Inebriates, in Knoxville, and had stopped in Des Moines for the night. As Deputy Woolman slept in a hotel bedroom his prisoner took his gun from his pocket and shot him three times. The prisoner then walked to a saloon at 3rd and Court Avenue and shot and killed the bartender. The prisoner was the former police surgeon for the Council Bluffs Police Department. The man was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sent to a mental hospital. On January 9th, 1915, he was declared sane and released. Deputy Woolman had served with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-B688EE87
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Woolman gave the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Council Bluffs community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office

Location Council Bluffs, IA

Platform Identity pcso.pottawat.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 25, 1911

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Released in 1915

Military Service

Clarence Woolman served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Deputy Sheriff Clarence Woolman 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%.

At Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office

of 5 officers

40% Felonious

IA — Statewide

129

of 226 officers

57.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious