Merchant Patrolman William Sterling Ashby

William Sterling Ashby

Merchant Patrolman William Ashby was shot and killed when he interrupted a robbery of a garage on Broad Street at about 3:00 am.

A subject was in the process of robbing an employee of the garage when Patrolman Ashby entered the business and was shot. The victim of the robbery initially wouldn't cooperate with the investigation because he was fearful of retaliation. About six months later he identified the suspect, who had been arrested in Phoenix for other robberies. The man was sentenced to 15 to 25 years in prison for the Phoenix robberies but it is not known if he was tried for Patrolman Ashby's murder.

Patrolman Ashby was a widower.