A Forgotten Pensacola Line-of-Duty Death – 1933
By Michael Earl Simmons
On cold winter nights in downtown Pensacola, when the streets grow quiet and the glow from storefront windows reflects off the brick sidewalks, it is easy to forget how many stories once unfolded along those same streets.
One of those stories ended in tragedy in 1933.
It is the story of Sergeant William A. “Chip” Shackleford, a veteran Pensacola police officer whose death came not from a gunfight in an alley or a dramatic chase through the streets—but from a brutal struggle inside a police wagon while doing his duty.
Few people today remember his name.
But in his time, “Chip” Shackleford was a legend in Pensacola.
A Railroad Man Who Became a Policeman
William A. Shackleford was born in Stockton, Alabama, in Baldwin County. Like many young men of the era, he followed opportunity to the booming port city of Pensacola, where the railroad industry was expanding rapidly.
Before long, he was deeply involved in the civic life of the growing city.
Shackleford served as:
- A member of the Board of Engineers
- An Escambia County elections inspector
- A founding member of the Blount Club
- President of SBA #1, an organization connected to railroad engineers
But eventually he chose a different path—one that would define the rest of his life.
He became a Pensacola police officer.
The Old Sergeant at the Desk
For twenty years Shackleford served the city.
By 1929 he had earned promotion to Sergeant, where he became the familiar figure behind the desk at the police station.
Many citizens who walked into the station first encountered Sergeant “Chip” Shackleford, immaculately dressed in his crisp uniform.
He was already 66 years old by the early 1930s—a remarkable age for a working police officer in those days.
Despite his age, he remained respected and widely known throughout the city.
But politics inside police departments were just as real then as they are today.
In 1932, when Chief Albert Anderson took command of the department, Shackleford was demoted from sergeant to patrolman.
Even so, he continued serving the city.
The Attack on a Minister
On the evening of January 15, 1933, a disturbing call reached the Pensacola police station.
An elderly minister, Reverend W. L. Haygood, had been attacked while walking to church on East Wright Street.
According to the preacher, a man approached him and began verbally abusing him. Haygood tried to ignore the confrontation and continued walking.
The man suddenly produced a knife.
Without warning, he slashed the minister’s throat.
Miraculously, Reverend Haygood survived the attack.
Officers quickly began searching for the suspect.
The Arrest
Around 7:30 that evening, Assistant Chief A. O. Godwin and Special Officer Ollie Everett located the suspect about a block from the scene.
The man identified himself as W. E. Crittenden of Evergreen, Alabama.
Godwin informed him he was under arrest for assault with intent to murder and drunkenness.
Crittenden pulled a knife—but the veteran assistant chief immediately disarmed him.
The officers took him into custody.
At a nearby drug store on Tarragona Street between Garden and Romana, Reverend Haygood positively identified Crittenden as the attacker.
The suspect was then transferred to Corporal Connors and Officer Shackleford, who were driving the patrol wagon.
Violence in the Patrol Wagon
Connors drove.
Shackleford sat in the rear of the wagon with the prisoner.
It was a short trip to the police station.
But during that ride, everything changed.
Without warning, Crittenden attacked the veteran officer.
Inside the moving patrol wagon, he grabbed Shackleford and repeatedly slammed the officer’s head against the interior of the wagon, inflicting a devastating cranial injury.
Shackleford cried out for help.
Connors immediately stopped the wagon and rushed to the rear door.
The moment he opened it, the prisoner lunged at him.
Crittenden reportedly shouted:
“My time has come. I’m going to kill all of you!”
A desperate struggle followed.
Connors drew his revolver, and after a brief fight for control of the weapon, shots were fired.
Crittenden was struck three times—twice in the chest and once in the stomach.
He collapsed and said quietly:
“You got me.”
The wounds, however, were not fatal.
The Injuries That Never Healed
Reverend Haygood slowly recovered from his throat wound.
Crittenden recovered from the gunshot wounds and was eventually sentenced to ten years in Raiford State Prison.
But fate took a strange turn.
Friends appeared in court on his behalf, vouched for his character, and paid a fine.
The judge reduced the sentence.
Crittenden was released and returned to Alabama.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Shackleford’s condition quietly worsened.
He had gone home after the attack, but the head injuries began to take their toll.
Twelve days after the assault, he was even reinstated to his sergeant’s position, returning briefly to the desk at the station to a hero’s welcome.
It would be his last day on duty.
By early February his condition had deteriorated badly, and he was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors determined his injuries were too severe for surgery.
The End of Watch
On February 27, 1933, at 2:15 in the afternoon, Sergeant William A. “Chip” Shackleford died from the injuries inflicted during the attack in the patrol wagon.
He had served the Pensacola Police Department for twenty years.
He left behind:
- His son, Nathan Shackleford
- Three brothers: Frank, W. E., and C. E.
The city was stunned.
For years, people had walked into the police station expecting to see the familiar figure of the old sergeant behind the desk.
Suddenly, he was gone.
A City Pays Its Respect
On March 1, 1933, a committee was appointed to draft a formal resolution of respect honoring the fallen officer.
The resolution was recorded in the court docket.
It was a quiet tribute to a man who had spent two decades serving his city.
Today, his name is largely forgotten.
But for those who look carefully into the history of Pensacola policing, the story of Sergeant Chip Shackleford remains a reminder of an enduring truth:
Police officers do not always die in dramatic shootouts.
Sometimes they die from the injuries received in the ordinary, dangerous work of arresting a violent man.
And sometimes their sacrifice fades into history.
But it should not.
(Most information taken from 1933 articles in the Pensacola News Journal, January 16 – March 2, 1933.)
Michael Earl Simmons is a retired Pensacola Police homicide detective and police historian. His “Sweet Tea Murders: The Pensacola Experience” brings real Pensacola crimes to life through immersive storytelling and audience participation. The first experience, featuring the chilling 1926 Axe Murder, will take place in downtown Pensacola this May. Look for more information, coming here.
