Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable William Arthur was shot and killed as he and other officers attempted to arrest two robbery suspects at Dorsee, West Virginia.
As the officers attempted the arrest the two men opened fire, killing Constable Arthur. Both suspects were wounded by return fire. One of them was arrested at the scene while the other one fled into the nearby woods.
The second suspect, 44, was apprehended three days later near Broad Tree in Nicholas County. He admitted to officials that he fired the shot that killed Constable Arthur. He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life. On January 13, 1951, he escaped from a road work crew. He was captured on January 3, 1952, near Pikeville, Kentucky.
Constable Arthur had served as an elected constable for six years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-078B24F1- 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.
Constable Arthur gave the Clay County Constable's Office 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Clay community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Arthur.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable William M. Arthur 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 WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 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. William M. Arthur's cause is highlighted.
How William M. Arthur Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William M. Arthur is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William M. Arthur was killed by gun; unknown type.