William Vernon Welch

Fort Worth Police Dept. — Fort Worth, TX

Felonious

End of Watch May 21, 1973

Age 29

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Badge 1218

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 58

Incident

Officer William Welch was shot and killed after walking in on a robbery in progress at a 7-11 store at 4301 Camp Bowie in Fort Worth. Driving separate patrol cars, he and another officer stopped at the store to get a soda. Officer Welch, suspicious of cars parked at the store, jotted down several license numbers and then entered the store with the other officer. The robber shot him and fled as Officer Welch and the other officer emptied their guns. The suspect, who was hit and wounded, was arrested when he sought treatment at a local hospital. He tried and failed to prove his wound was caused by a knife. The license numbers Officer Welch wrote down proved the suspect was at the store. On October 11, 1973, the suspect, 37, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 99 years. Officer Welch had served with the Fort Worth Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and his parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-82819E1D
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.
Officer Welch gave the Fort Worth Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Welch.

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

Agency

Department Fort Worth Police Dept.

Location Fort Worth, TX

Platform Identity fwpd.tarrant.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 21, 1973

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 29

Badge Number 1218

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to 99 years

Officer William Vernon Welch 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 Fort Worth Police Dept., 33 of 59 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.9% of this agency's fallen.

Fort Worth Police Dept.

of 59 officers

55.9% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious