William A. Bell

Baltimore Police Dept. — Baltimore, MD

Felonious

End of Watch January 2, 1932

Age 52

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 150

Incident

Officer William Bell was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect.

The suspect escaped from the scene but turned himself in 2 days later. He was sentenced to death and executed on April 8, 1932.

Officer Bell had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for 23 years.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-F4F4553C
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

23 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Bell gave the Baltimore City Police Department 23 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Bell.

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

Agency

Department Baltimore Police Dept.

Location Baltimore, MD

Platform Identity baltpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 2, 1932

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Age 52

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Executed in 1932

Police Officer William A. Bell 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 MD, 195 of 377 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 51.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.5 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Baltimore Police Dept., 80 of 151 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this agency's fallen.

Baltimore Police Dept.

of 151 officers

53% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious