Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Cooke was shot and killed while working as the night jailer at the Salt Lake City Jail. During his shift two men entered the jail and demanded the release of a prisoner. When Officer Cooke attempted to stop them he was shot in the leg. He succumbed to his wound several days later. The suspect was later shot and killed in Wyoming.
Survivors
Officer Cooke had been with the agency for one year and was survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-UT-8A40F12E- 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
168 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer Cooke gave the Salt Lake City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Salt Lake City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer William Cooke 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 UT, 84 of 138 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this state's fallen. That is 6.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Salt Lake City Police Department, 14 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Cooke's cause is highlighted.
How William Cooke Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Cooke is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Cooke was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
22 officers from Salt Lake City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
