William Leon Gooding

Charleston County Police Department — Charleston, SC

Felonious

End of Watch March 27, 1948

Age 48

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Patrolman Leon Gooding was shot and killed after he and his partner arrested a man on the John Island railroad tracks who had escaped from the South Carolina state mental hospital a month earlier. They confiscated a rifle from the man but failed to locate a .22 caliber pistol. As the officers drove the man to jail on Doughty Street, he produced the pistol and shot both officers, killing Patrolman Gooding. The 30-year-old suspect was declared insane and was sent to the state penitentiary without a trial. He remained there until 1973, when he was removed to a state hospital because he refused to allow doctors to amputate his leg, which was infected with gangrene. His case was very complicated. He and his attorneys argued for years that he needed to be in a mental hospital, but state officials argued he was too dangerous and prison was the best place for him. He had served with the Charleston County Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife, two brothers, and two sisters. He is buried at Riverview Memorial Park, North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two brothers, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-SC-DD56CDB9
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.
Patrolman Gooding gave the Charleston County Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Gooding.

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

Agency

Department Charleston County Police Department

Location Charleston, SC

Platform Identity ccpd.charleston.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 27, 1948

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 48

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .22 caliber

Offender Declared insane

Patrolman William Leon Gooding 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 SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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.

Charleston County Police Department

of 6 officers

83.3% Felonious

SC — Statewide

271

of 438 officers

61.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious