Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Constable Bill Cornell suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to arrest two men whom he caught breaking into a work van at a construction next to his home in the 900 block of Wooded Acres Drive.
He was able to arrest one subject and then fired two shots at the second subject but was unable to arrest him. He took the man back to his apartment and called the Waco Police Department before collapsing. The subject he arrested began CPR on him, and responding officers also attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.
The man he arrested was charged with burglary.
Deputy Constable Cornell was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. He had served with the Waco Police Department for 20 years and had previously served as the elected constable of Precinct 1 before being defeated. The new constable had appointed him as a deputy constable following the election.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-D926E26E- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Bill is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Constable Cornell gave the McLennan County Constable's Office 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Waco community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Constable Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr. is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In TX, 88 of 2,421 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At McLennan County Constable's Office - Precinct 1, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr. Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr. is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Military Service
Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Visit Bill Lankford Cornell, Sr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from McLennan County Constable's Office - Precinct 1 are honored on badge.nw.
