Mark Anthony Williams

Knoxville Police Department — Knoxville, TN

Felonious

End of Watch July 7, 1989

Age 24

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 134 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 16

Incident

Patrolman Tony Williams was shot in the back and killed while riding his motorcycle home on Cherry Street toward Interstate 40 in Knoxville just before midnight. It is believed he was shot because he was a police officer. Two men were charged in the murder but released when one of the suspect's case was dismissed. A few years later, during a secretly taped undercover drug transaction, one of the men implicated the other man in killing Patrolman Williams. He was sentenced to federal prison for cocaine distribution for 41-55 months. The other suspect was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for other crimes. In 2023, the grand jury found that the subject "did unlawfully, intentionally, deliberately and with premeditation kill Anthony Williams.” The suspect had died in federal prison a month before the grand jury's decision. Patrolman Williams had served with the Knoxville Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his father, ex-wife, aunts, and uncles.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-67930BB2
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 Williams gave the Knoxville Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Knoxville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Williams.

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

Agency

Department Knoxville Police Department

Location Knoxville, TN

Platform Identity kpd.knox.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 7, 1989

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Case solved in 2023

Patrolman Mark Anthony Williams 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Knoxville Police Department, 12 of 17 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.6% of this agency's fallen.

Knoxville Police Department

of 17 officers

70.6% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious