In the small town of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, a dedicated police officer's life was cut tragically short in an act of senseless violence. Corporal David William Witmer, a 35-year-old White male, was a respected member of the Shamokin City Police Department, where he had served for nine years. On the night of November 13, 1983, he responded to a call for mutual aid from the neighboring Zerbe Township, unaware that it would be his final call to duty.
The chain of events that led to Corporal
Witmer's death began with a man named Preston Pfifley, who was reportedly in a drunken, jealous rage. Believing a local auto-body garage belonged to his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend, Pfifley set the building on fire. As law enforcement responded to the scene, Pfifley attempted to flee in his tractor-trailer. It was during this chaotic escape that he fatally shot Corporal Witmer. The officer was struck in the neck by a rifle shot and died almost instantly. Another officer was wounded in the exchange of gunfire but survived.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a coordinated effort by the Shamokin City Police Department, Coal Township Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police led to the apprehension of Preston Pfifley. He was subsequently charged with the murder of Corporal Witmer. The legal process that followed found Pfifley guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Pfifley remained incarcerated until his death in prison on October 12, 2013. Corporal Witmer, a U.S. Military veteran, was survived by his wife and daughter. His death marked the first and only time a police officer was killed in the line of duty in the history of Shamokin.
