In the late afternoon of January 16, 1980, a call regarding a domestic disturbance sent Philadelphia Police Officer William Washington to the 2200 block of South Bonaffon Terrace. A man had assaulted his wife and children and was now barricaded inside their residence. As Officer Washington, a 30-year-old Black/African American male and a nine-year veteran of the force, approached the house at approximately 5:00 p.m., he was met with a sudden and fatal ambush.
From a second-floor window,
the 34-year-old suspect fired a rifle, striking Officer Washington. The shot proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Other officers who arrived at the scene were able to take the suspect into custody. The man responsible for Officer Washington's death was no stranger to violence, having been previously convicted of attempted murder in both 1969 and 1971.
The suspect was subsequently convicted of the murder of Officer Washington and was sentenced to life in prison. The community mourned the loss of Officer Washington, a United States Army veteran who had served in the Vietnam War. At the time of his death, he was engaged to be married and was survived by his parents and sister.
