Chief of Police William Howard Wilson

William Howard Wilson

Chief of Police William Wilson was shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on a man for assaulting two officers earlier in the week.

The man was a local tow truck operator and assaulted the two officers when they attempted to serve another warrant for refusing to present his driver's license during a traffic stop. Chief Wilson had gone to the man's home at 3550 Old Highway 9 and attempted to arrest him. Shots were exchanged between the two and Chief Wilson was struck in the head by a round fired with a 7mm hunting rifle.

The man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder but the charges were later dismissed when a grand jury failed to return a true bill. The man was later elected to be the town's mayor in the early 1980s.

Chief Wilson was an Alabama National Guard veteran and had served as the Cedar Bluff police chief for only three weeks. He had previously served with the Piedmont Police Department and the Delaware County, Indiana, Sheriff's Office. He is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, parents, two brothers, and five sisters.