The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is remembering a deputy who was killed in the line of duty 120 years ago.
According to information released by the sheriff’s office, Deputy Sheriff William Cooper was born in Watertown on Dec. 25, 1852, and died in Waterloo on Saturday, Feb. 8, 1902, at the age of 49.
“Falling in the line of duty is a timeless sacrifice that must always be remembered,” the sheriff’s office stated in a news release.
“William Cooper was a kind and loving father, a firm friend and a good neighbor,” it said. “He enjoyed a wide acquaintance, a host of warm personal friends, and his tragic death was a most severe blow to the entire community.”
The release stated: “The following is a summary taken from historical news articles of what occurred causing Deputy Cooper’s death. Please notice the difference in journalistic reporting 120 years ago.”
Information provided within the release describes the ongoing pursuit of a wife and daughter by an estranged husband and father, Fred Stephenson, which escalated on the evening of Feb. 8, 1902, on the second story of “the Blaschka building” in Waterloo. During the dispute between Stephenson and his estranged family, Stephenson locked himself in a room with his wife, produced a gun and threatened to shoot her if she did not agree to return to his home and live with him.
As law enforcement agents, including Cooper, worked to gain access to the area where Stephenson was holding his wife, his wife found an opportunity to flea the room, making her way down a staircase.
According to the release, “As soon as Stephenson found out that his wife had got away from him, he followed her out of the front door and down the front stairs. When he reached the landing at the foot of the stairs, he saw Cooper standing there waiting for him and he made a jump and passed by Cooper, but only went a few feet when he stopped. Cooper then stepped toward him and told him that he could not follow his (Stephenson’s) wife and to ‘behave himself and be a man.’ At the same time, Stephenson said, ‘Keep away or I’ll shoot.’ Cooper advanced to arrest Stephenson, who all this time had a revolver in his hand, and as Cooper took hold of Stephenson, he said, ‘No, Fred, you wouldn’t shoot.’
“As Cooper took hold of him, Stephenson tried to give Cooper a push and then placing a revolver against Cooper’s breast fired. As he fired, Cooper still holding onto Stephenson, said: ‘My God, Fred Stephenson, you have killed me.'”
Stephenson was apprehended at a home seven miles northwest of the city without incident.
The release continued: “There cannot be too much praise said of Deputy Sheriff Cooper, who gave up his life in the discharge of his duty and in guarding the life of a woman. His bravery was the cause of his death and while he cannot be called back, his memory is sacredly honored by every citizen of the community for his efforts to protect their lives and interests.
“The jury found ‘that the said Wm. Cooper came to his death from a wound made by a bullet coming from a revolver in the hands of one Fred Stephenson.’ The 45-year-old suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison Feb. 13, 1903.”
A thorough and detailed narrative, describing the events leading up to, during and after the altercation on Feb. 8, 1902, which led to the death of Cooper is found within the original release shared by the sheriff’s office. The full release is here: http://fortatkinsononline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Letterhead.pdf.
In 2010, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office learned that Deputy William Cooper’s heroic actions had been lost to history. To honor him, Sheriff Paul Milbrath completed paperwork requesting that his name be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard traveled to Washington D.C. in May of 2011 for Police Week to commemorate Deputy Cooper’s addition to the wall, the release stated.
A memorial page for Cooper is here: http://www.odmp.org/officer/19374-deputy-sheriff-william-cooper.
Deputy Sheriff William Cooper, Dec. 25, 1852 to Feb. 8, 1902. Photo contributed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The photo can also be found on a memorial page for Cooper here: http://www.odmp.org/officer/19374-deputy-sheriff-william-cooper.
Information about the nonprofit group Officer Down Memorial Page is here: https://www.odmp.org/info/about-odmp.
To make a donation to the Officer Down Memorial Page, visit: https://officerdownmemorialpage.humanitru.com/donate?amount=50&options=500%2C250%2C100%2C50%2C25%2C15&address=required&passthrough=Quick+links.
The above photo is supplied by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, which indicated that a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard traveled to Washington D.C. in May of 2011 to commemorate Deputy Cooper’s addition to the National Law Enforcement Memorial wall.
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