Killing of Wallace Williams in Louisiana in 1952

Incident

Case summary

Wallace Williams (1919-1952), a laborer, was killed by police in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. Williams, who may have been mentally ill, was arrested by Police Chief J. Harry Hebert and Patrolman Jessie Broussard for causing a disturbance. The officers used force to carry out the arrest, and Williams died within an hour at the police station. An essay on this case, researched and authored by a CRRJ student, is available on request.

Victim(s):

Wallace Williams


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Jessie Broussard

Harry Hebert

Perpetrator group type: police

Date of incident: 1952-05-17
Location: Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Location type: public space - urban
Allegation against victim: causing a disturbance with a knife

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: yes
Finding of no legal responsibility: yes

Criminal process
Arrest: [ ]
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: [ ]
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]

FBI case ID:

New Orleans 44-435

DOJ case ID:

144-32-139


Document(s):
death certificates
federal agency records
military documents - closed
Data Fields
To learn more about data fields, refer to the data dictionary.
Cite this Page
Refer to how to cite.