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William Etheldred Shoemaker
Incident
Fish Warden William Shoemaker succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained on August 25th, 1921, near Black's Bridge along Wyalusing Creek near Merryall. He and his son, who was acting as a Special Deputy Fish Warden, had arrested a man in LaRaysville and were returning home after appearing before the justice. They were driving on a road that paralleled Wyalusing Creek when they spotted a lantern light and two men in the creek at about 10:30 pm. Warden Shoemaker walked down to the creek leaving his son in the car. He found two suspects spearfishing without a license. He ordered both suspects out of the creek and followed the first man up the bank. As they walked up the bank, the second man grabbed Warden Shoemaker’s .38-caliber revolver and shot him in the back of the neck. The subject who shot him fled down the creek and through the woods. Warden Shoemaker’s son, thinking the gunfire was a distress signal, came down to the creek bank and was able to apprehend the first man who told him where Warden Shoemaker was. Along with some passersby, they were able to transport Deputy Shoemaker to a local doctor’s residence. He was then taken to a nearby hospital by train where it was determined he had suffered a severed spinal cord and was paralyzed from the neck down. Over the next month, he regained sensation in his shoulders and partial use of his arms. However, complications arose and Warden Shoemaker died early in the morning of September 22nd, 1921. The man who fired the shot surrendered the day after the shooting and was charged with first-degree murder following Warden Shoemaker's death. The man was convicted of manslaughter, sentenced to nine to ten years in prison, and fined $100. Fish Warden Shoemaker had served two years as a game warden with the Pennsylvania Game Commission before serving eighteen years as a Fish Warden with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. He was survived by his wife and two sons. Warden Shoemaker's son left law enforcement after that fatef
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two sons.
In Our Keeping
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
20 years. You could have gone home.
Fish Warden Shoemaker gave the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Harrisburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Fish Warden Shoemaker.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Felonious
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has lost 3 officers; 1 of them killed feloniously.
William is one of 598 officers killed feloniously in PA, 47.4% of the 1,262 remembered there.
William is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.
William is one of 17,631 officers killed feloniously worldwide, 52% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1921, 9 officers in PA were killed feloniously, the 11th heaviest of 152 years on record. The heaviest was 1918, with 16.
In 1921, 248 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, more than in any other year.
In 1921, 516 officers worldwide were killed feloniously, more than in any other year.
Who
William had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 7 years.
William had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
William had served 20 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
September holds 10.5% of these deaths in PA, more than any other month. Thursdays: 13.7%.
September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.
September holds 8.8% of these deaths worldwide; December holds the most, 9.2%. Thursdays: 14.1%.
How
Felonious deaths account for 33.3% of all 3 deaths at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 100% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 47.4% of all 1,262 deaths in PA, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.9% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 52% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.2% of these deaths.
His people
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has 3 officers remembered here, William among them.
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 43-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission are honored on badge.nw.
