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Willie D. Smith
Agency patch
Officer

Willie D. Smith

Jacksonville Police Department — Jacksonville, FL
Felonious
United States flag Florida flag
End of Watch January 19, 1930
Age 40
The Vigil Panel 59 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 32

Incident

Officer Smith was killed by three escaped convicts from Connecticut. Officer Smith and another officer did not know who they were when they walked up to them in their stolen parked car to question them about several local robberies. They opened fire killing Officer Smith and seriously wounding the other officer. One of the suspects was apprehended the next day in Jacksonville. The other two were apprehended a few days later in Pensacola. One of the escapees was serving a life sentence in Connecticut for murdering Trooper Irving H. Nelson of the Connecticut State Police on April 6, 1928. Two of the escapees including the murderer of Trooper Nelson, were convicted of Officer Smith's murder and sentenced to life. All three were returned to Connecticut to serve the remainder of their sentences plus an additional 24 years for escape and motor vehicle theft.

Survivors

Officer Smith was survived by his son and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville, Florida.

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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Smith served with the Jacksonville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jacksonville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Smith.

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

Agency

Department Jacksonville Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Jacksonville, Duval County, FL
Platform Identity jpd.duval.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1930
Age 40
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1930, 239 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 2nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Willie was 40. 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.

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

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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

Jacksonville Police Department has 33 officers remembered here, Willie among them.

Across the years

Officer Willie D. Smith

Jacksonville Police Department · End of Watch January 19, 1930

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 26-E

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