William Stanley Meadows

Amarillo Police Dept. — Amarillo, TX

Felonious

End of Watch June 8, 1964

Age 23

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 15

Incident

Patrolman Meadows was shot and killed just outside of the city limits during a vehicle pursuit of two juvenile suspects who had fled from a boy's camp and taken a family hostage. During the pursuit the two juveniles repeatedely fired at officers, striking Patrolman Meadows in the head. Other officers returned fire, killing one of the suspects, age 14. The other 15-year-old suspect was sent to a state reformatory. On his 17th birthday he was charged with murder but was later acquitted because it could not be determined who fired the fatal shot. He returned to his home in Hammon, Oklahoma, where on February 8, 1967, he murdered his father, his brother, and a friend. He was convicted of three counts of murder and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to three life terms. He died in prison November 13, 2013.

Survivors

Patrolman Meadows was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-245A3B39
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 Meadows served with the Amarillo Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Amarillo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Meadows.

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

Agency

Department Amarillo Police Dept.

Location Amarillo, TX

Platform Identity apd.potter.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 8, 1964

Age 23

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .257 caliber

Offender One shot and killed

Patrolman William Stanley Meadows 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 TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Amarillo Police Dept., 10 of 16 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Amarillo Police Dept.

of 16 officers

62.5% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious