Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Willliam Cribb was shot and killed when he and another officer interrupted an armed robbery in a supermarket while off duty. Patrolman Cribb and a colleague, both off duty, had gone to a local grocery store, Sam's Red and White, on James Island to get charcoal for a cook-out that evening at Patrolman Cribb's home. After getting the charcoal and approaching the front of the store they saw a perpetrator with a gun forcing a store employee to open a safe in an office cubicle near the front of the store. Patrolman Cribb was armed, his colleague was not. Patrolman Cribb pulled his weapon and approached the perpetrator from the rear and ordered him to freeze. Unbeknownst to both officers, the perpetrator had two accomplices, one outside the store standing watch, and one in the store, standing a short distance from the office cubicle and behind Patrolman Cribb. That accomplice shot Patrolman Cribb from behind. After Patrolman Cribb fell to the floor, the perpetrator near the safe fired another bullet into Patrolman Cribb. As the perpetrators were running from the store with the stolen money, Patrolman Cribb's colleague retrieved his gun and fired several shots at them, missing all of them. Patrolman Cribb was pronounced dead a short time later at a local hospital. The three suspects escaped with five thousand dollars and remain at large.
Survivors
Patrolman Cribb was survived by his pregnant wife and young daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-3B131BB5- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Cribb gave the Charleston County Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Cribb.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman William Thomas Cribb is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 officers honored here.
In SC, 271 of 440 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.6% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.
At Charleston County Police Department, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Thomas Cribb's cause is highlighted.
How William Thomas Cribb Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Thomas Cribb is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Thomas Cribb was killed by gun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Charleston County Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
