Donald C. Sparks
Agency patch
Police Officer

Donald C. Sparks

Felonious
End of Watch March 4, 1963
Age 33
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Donald Sparks was shot and killed after stopping a robbery suspect at Grand Boulevard and Castleman Avenue following a grocery store robbery. The suspect, 32, was arrested several hours later by other officers. The ex-convict was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The Missouri Supreme Court awarded him a new trial and he was sentenced to life.

Survivors

Officer Sparks had been with the agency for ten years and was survived by his wife and 9-year-old daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Sparks gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Sparks.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, City of Saint Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1963
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Donald is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1963, 71 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 100th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Donald was 33. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Donald had served 10 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Donald among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Donald C. Sparks

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch March 4, 1963

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 27-W

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