Incident
Constable Cody was shot and killed in the line of duty while serving as a constable in Beaumont. A fight among railroad workers occurred on the Kansas City and Southwestern Road near the village of Beaumont during which one of the bosses, a railroad foreman, shot and wounded one of the workers. Later that evening, Constable Thomas Cody located the suspect and attempted to arrest the man who then shot and killed Constable Cody. A $950 reward was put up for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, who was later apprehended.
Survivors
Constable Cody was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KS-8B9BE4B3- 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.
Constable Cody served with the Butler County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the El Dorado community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable William Thomas Cody 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 KS, 237 of 335 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.7% of this state's fallen. That is 16.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Butler County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Thomas Cody's cause is highlighted.
How William Thomas Cody Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Thomas Cody is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Thomas Cody was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Butler County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
