William B. Smith

How they died

Deadly force

An officer shot and killed William B. Smith when he allegedly came at him with knives in each hand. At at about 4:40 p.m., police responded to a report of an assault in the 3300 block of South Compton Avenue and found Lawanda Smith, 37, dead in the street outside her home. She had been beaten to death with a hammer. About 90 minutes later, police found William Smith in a hall of a four-family flat in the 4000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, where witnesses reported he'd made incriminating statements. According to police, Smith had several stab wounds, apparently self-inflicted, and was holding knives in both hands. When he was told to stop, Smith reportedly stabbed himself, then he lunged toward an officer, who shot him.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that William B. Smith, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources