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Special Agent

Jack R. Coler

United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch June 26, 1975

Age 28

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 115 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 88

Incident

Special Agent Jack Coler and Special Agent Ronald Williams were shot and killed at the Oglala Sioux Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The agents were attempting to serve a warrant for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. When they stopped a vehicle at 11:50 a.m., they requested backup once the men in the vehicle started firing at them. When responding agents arrived on the scene, they were also fired upon. They were unable to reach Agent Williams and Agent Coler until 4:25 p.m. Once discovered, the agents' vehicles had 125 bullet holes. Agent Williams had been shot in the left arm, left side, right hand, and head. Agent Coler had multiple wounds to the arm and head. Both agents had been killed at close range. Only one of the four suspects was charged with their murders and was captured in Vancouver, Canada, on February 6, 1976. The 31-year-old suspect, unbeknownst to Agent Williams and Agent Coler, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for the attempted murder of a police officer in Wisconsin. He was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to life. In 1979, he and other inmates fired at prison guards when they escaped from prison. He was denied clemency in 2017 and wasn't supposed to be released until 2035. In 2025, on his final day of office, President Joseph Biden commuted his sentence to home confinement. Special Agent Coler had served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for four years and previously served with the Los Angeles Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, parents, brother, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Special Agent Coler gave the United States Department of Justice 7 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Coler.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usdjfbifed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 26, 1975

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 28

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Jack is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1975, 163 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 21st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Jack was 28. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Jack had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

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