William H. Grubbs

Akron Police Department — Akron, OH

Felonious

End of Watch May 10, 1929

Age 30

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 128

The Vigil Panel 57 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Officer William Grubbs was shot and mortally wounded while searching two robbery suspects for concealed weapons at the corner of East Market Street and Johns Avenue in Akron at 7:10 PM. Officer Grubbs succumbed to his wounds four days later. The suspect who killed Officer Grubbs was arrested three weeks later. He was convicted of Officer Grubbs' murder and executed in the electric chair on November 1, 1929. Officer Grubbs had served with the Akron Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-9BFD75E9
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Grubbs gave the Akron Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Akron community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Grubbs.

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

Agency

Department Akron Police Department

Location Akron, OH

Platform Identity apd.summit.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 10, 1929

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 30

Badge Number 128

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Executed in 1929

Officer William H. Grubbs 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Akron Police Department, 16 of 28 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this agency's fallen.

Akron Police Department

of 28 officers

57.1% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious