William Ford Sherman

Union Pacific Railroad Police Department — Omaha, NE

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 31, 1927

Age 33

The Vigil Panel 53 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 20

Incident

Location: Kansas Incident Date: Wednesday, August 17, 1927 Weapon: Gun; Unknown type Offender: Convicted

Special Agent William Sherman succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two weeks earlier while attempting to arrest two men loitering in a freight yard in Topeka, Kansas. As he searched one of the men, the second man was able to move behind him and ordered him to raise his hands.

As Agent Sherman was turning around he was shot in the back. The men then fled the scene. A train foreman located the agent a short time later and he was taken to a local hospital. The following day he was transported to a hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where he remained until succumbing to his wounds.

The two men were apprehended the following year and convicted of Agent Sherman's murder.

Agent Sherman had previously served with the United States Marine Corps and was survived by his wife and young son.

Survivors

Agent Sherman had previously served with the United States Marine Corps and was survived by his wife and young son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-E9404B4E
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 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.
Special Agent Sherman served with the Union Pacific Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Omaha community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Union Pacific Railroad Police Department

Location Omaha, NE

Platform Identity uprpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1927

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Convicted

Military Service

William Ford Sherman served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Special Agent William Ford Sherman 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 NE, 97 of 151 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.2% of this state's fallen. That is 10 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Union Pacific Railroad Police Department, 13 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this agency's fallen.

Union Pacific Railroad Police Department

of 21 officers

61.9% Felonious

NE — Statewide

of 151 officers

64.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious