Town Marshal William D "Dock" Willis

William D "Dock" Willis

Town Marshal Dock Willis succumbed to his wounds when he was shot in downtown Milan on April 16, 1922, in retaliation for an arrest the night before.

Sometime in the early afternoon, Marshal Willis was in front of a drugstore engaging with a citizen. He was approached by three brothers, one of them opening fire, shooting him three times. While on the ground, he returned fire and struck the shooter in the leg.

Marshal Willis was transported to a hospital in Macon to recover. He died of his wounds on May 9, 1922, twenty-three days later.

The shooter had been arrested the night before for drunkenness by Marshal Willis. He was released the next morning, believing that he had sobered up. After the shooting, the brothers were arrested for murder. The shooter was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The other two brothers were charged, but their status is unknown.

Marshal Willis had served as marshal of Milan for just over five months. He was survived by his wife and several children.