William Hayes

Lawton Police Department — Lawton, OK

Felonious

End of Watch April 8, 1916

The Vigil Panel 31 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Officer William Hayes succumbed to a gunshot wound received the previous day while attempting to make an arrest.

The suspect was taken into custody and put in jail, but after Officer Hayes died of the wounds an angry mob of citizens took control of him and hung him.

Officer Hayes is burried in Highland Cemetery in Lawton, Oklahoma.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OK-30C993EE
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 Hayes served with the Lawton Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Lawton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Hayes.

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

Agency

Department Lawton Police Department

Location Lawton, OK

Platform Identity lpd.comanche.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 8, 1916

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Lynched

Officer William Hayes 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 OK, 403 of 582 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.2% of this state's fallen. That is 15 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Lawton Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Lawton Police Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

OK — Statewide

403

of 582 officers

69.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious