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Chief of Police

W. L. Echols

Van Alstyne Police Department — Van Alstyne, TX

Felonious

End of Watch March 21, 1929

Age 67

Tour of Duty 46 yrs

The Vigil Panel 57 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Chief Echols was shot and killed while making his normal rounds in the business district. He came across three men who were preparing to rob a bank and they shot him.

All three suspects were apprehended. Two were convicted of murder and sentenced to 99 years. On August 7, 1931, one was shot and killed when he attempted to escape from Eastham Prison Farm. The other suspect was pardoned by Governor Coke R. Stevenson on February 2, 1944.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-CBD117AB
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

46 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Echols gave the Van Alstyne Police Department 46 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Van Alstyne community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Echols.

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

Agency

Department Van Alstyne Police Department

Location Van Alstyne, TX

Platform Identity vapd.grayson.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 21, 1929

Tour of Duty 46 yrs

Age 67

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Chief of Police W. L. Echols 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%.

Van Alstyne Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. W. L. Echols's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How W. L. Echols Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. W. L. Echols is highlighted in Mar.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518