Roll of Honor
William Payton Hamilton, Jr.
Incident
Chief of Police William Hamilton died as a result of complications from cancer that developed from the Wade Dump Fire on February 2, 1978.
Chief Hamilton, who was serving as police captain, responded to the fire and remained at the scene for over four hours. During the ensuing clean-up and investigation, he provided foot patrol multiple times.
He was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung in 1984 and Pancreatic carcinoma unrelated to the lung cancer in 1988. He died as a result of complications on February 2, 1989, the 11th anniversary of the fire.
Chief of Police Hamilton was a United States Army veteran and served with the Chester Police Department for 30 years.
At 3:44 pm, members of the Chester Fire Department responded to 1 Flower Street for a fire at a rubber recycling facility directly below the Commodore Barry Bridge. It was unknown to first responders that more than 3,000,000 gallons of toxic chemical waste were being stored on the site. At least 230 first responders responded to the fire, which took firefighters 10 hours to bring under control. During the response, firefighters were driven back due to exploding 55-gallon drums. One warehouse was destroyed, and two other warehouses were damaged in the fire. Investigators discovered more than 18,000 drums of toxic chemicals, tanker trucks leaking chemical waste into the ground, and ditches that had been dug to dump chemicals into the Delaware River. In August 1980, the property owner was convicted of risking a catastrophe, failing to prevent a catastrophe, and violating the Clean Water Act. He was fined $30,000 and sentenced to one to two years in the county prison. Click here to read more about the Wade Dump Fire and the officers killed from the effects of the toxic chemicals
At 3:44 pm, members of the Chester Fire Department responded to 1 Flower Street for a fire at a rubber recycling facility directly below the Commodore Barry Bridge.
It was unknown to first responders that more than 3,000,000 gallons of toxic chemical waste were being stored on the site. At least 230 first responders responded to the fire, which took firefighters 10 hours to bring under control. During the response, firefighters were driven back due to exploding 55-gallon drums. One warehouse was destroyed, and two other warehouses were damaged in the fire. Investigators discovered more than 18,000 drums of toxic chemicals, tanker trucks leaking chemical waste into the ground, and ditches that had been dug to dump chemicals into the Delaware River.
In August 1980, the property owner was convicted of risking a catastrophe, failing to prevent a catastrophe, and violating the Clean Water Act. He was fined $30,000 and sentenced to one to two years in the county prison.
Click here to read more about the Wade Dump Fire and the officers killed from the effects of the toxic chemicals
I have the great honor of researching your case and writing the first reflection on your memorial. May your service and sacrifice never be forgotten.
Rocky Geppert Volunteer Researcher Officer Down Memorial Page February 12th, 2026
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Chief of Police Hamilton gave the Chester City Police Department 30 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chester community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William Payton Hamilton, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Chief of Police William Payton Hamilton, Jr. is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Chester City Police Department, 7 of 17 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 41.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Payton Hamilton, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How William Payton Hamilton, Jr. Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 2 years
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. William Payton Hamilton, Jr. is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
16 officers from Chester City Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
