George L. Williams

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch January 9, 1918

Age 44

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 33 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Detective George Williams was shot and killed in a gun battle with five men at 16th Street and South Street. Detective Williams, the city’s only black detective, came upon a fracas in a bar and was trying to arrest the men when one opened fire on him. Detective Williams had been a star of the Cuban Giants of the Negro Baseball League. He was the first black officer killed in the line of duty. The principal killer in this case, a 22-year-year old male was executed for the crime on November 1st, 1920. Detective Williams had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 25 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-8C1DC550
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

25 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Williams gave the Philadelphia Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Williams.

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

Agency

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 9, 1918

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Executed

Detective George L. Williams 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 162 of 378 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

162

of 378 officers

42.9% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious