07/04/2026
Just after midnight on July 3, 1892, Officer William "Billy" Elliott became the first Tucson Police Officer to be killed in the line of Duty.
Officer Elliott was on foot patrol in Tucson's Barrio Libre on Meyer Street about halfway between Cushing and McCormick (currently the convention center stands over this space). It is believed that Officer Elliott approached a laborer named Santos Alvarado and another man for an unknown reason. The interaction became hostile and Alvarado reportedly shouted at Elliot that he could shoot him but that he would not arrest him. Alvarado rushed Officer Elliot and stabbed him with a knife through the heart. Almost simultaneously, Elliott drew his weapon and fired twice, his first shot missing and his second shot fatally wounding Alvarado.
Mayor Maish who lived across the street from the incident and was awoken by the gunshots. Mayor Maish ran out onto Meyer and directed a citizen to go get help. I've often heard it said that Officer Elliott died in the Mayors arms but there is no report of this in any of the papers of the time.
Alvarado was a laborer who had arrived from Phoenix 6 days prior to his death and is said to have been involved in numerous crimes in Sonora but evidence or details of these crimes is not given in newspaper reports.
Officer Elliott was a Scottish immigrant who had been in Tucson for just 5 years. He had served as the assistant postmaster in Tucson before becoming a police officer. He had only been on the department for a few months and just 3 weeks before his death the newspaper reported that he had turned down a position with the railroad mail service. He left behind a pregnant wife and 2 children.
It wasn't until 1933 that Tucson Police made it a requirement for officers on night watch perform foot patrol in pairs. The Arizona Daily Star commented that "had this precaution been taken while William Elliot was on the force, he would probably be alive today".
