Roll of Honor
Incident
City Marshal Edgar Williams was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a subject who had committed a minor offense in Rosebud.
When Marshal Williams attempted to place the man under arrest the subject fled with Marshal Williams in pursuit. During the pursuit the subject turned and fired two rounds, striking Marshal Williams in the abdomen.
The Rosebud mayor continued pursuing the subject and shot him in the leg, wounding him. The subject was taken to jail but was forcibly removed from the jail a short time later by a mob of approximately 50 citizens. He was taken to the city fire station and hanged from the fire tower.
Marshal Williams also served as the elected constable of Falls County Precinct 7. He is buried at Woodland Cemetery, Rosebud, Texas.
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
City Marshal Williams gave the Rosebud Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Rosebud community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, City Marshal Williams.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
City Marshal James Edgar 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 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Edgar Williams's cause is highlighted.
How James Edgar Williams Compares
Offender Outcome
Lynched
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Edgar Williams is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Edgar Williams was killed by handgun.