Billy Colón-Crespo

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127

Felonious

End of Watch August 24, 1998

Age 44

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 145 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 363

Incident

Sergeant Billy Colón-Crespo and Sergeant Ramón Ramirez-Castro were shot and killed while answering an armed robbery call at a local bakery in Fortuna, Luquillo, Puerto Rico. The officers entered the store and detained two suspects but as they began to search one of them other other suspect suddenly opened fire, striking both officers. As the both officers were laying on the ground one of the suspects took one of the officer's .357 caliber duty weapon and shot them both again. The suspects fled the scene with a third suspect in a waiting get-away car but were later captured. The entire incident was captured on the business' security camera. Sergeant Colón-Crespo had served with the Puerto Rico Police Department for 11 years.

Survivors

He is survived by seven children and was posthumously promoted to Sergeant.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PR-1866645D
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.
Sergeant Colón-Crespo gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Colón-Crespo.

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

Agency

Department Puerto Rico Police Department

Location San Juan, 127

Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 24, 1998

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 44

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Apprehended; 239-year prison sentence

Sergeant Billy Colón-Crespo 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 127, 294 of 388 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75.8% of this state's fallen. That is 21.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Puerto Rico Police Department, 279 of 364 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.6% of this agency's fallen.

Puerto Rico Police Department

279

of 364 officers

76.6% Felonious

127 — Statewide

294

of 388 officers

75.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious