Sergeant William Cullen was shot and killed when a man attempted to rob him of his gun.

March 2, 1936 at 9:00 pm, Sergeant Cullen's partner, Officer Arthur Wahlbrink, had just run into a drug store at the corner of Warne and West Florissant Avenues to buy medicine. While inside he heard shots fired and ran out to find Sergeant Cullen wounded on the street. Sergeant Cullen stated that a man had approached the car and ordered him to hand over his handgun. When Sergeant Cullen refused and attempted to exit his patrol car the suspect shot him twice in the abdomen and fled down an alley. Sergeant Cullen was taken to DePaul Hospital where he was given three pints of blood during emergency surgery but succumbed to his injuries the next morning, on March 3rd at 2:10pm.

Sergeant Cullen, born in Ireland, was survived by his wife and five children. Interred: Calvary Cemetery.