41 years later, William J. Waterson remains the only Clark police officer to be killed in the line of duty when he was shot on July 4, 1971.
After hearing a woman's screams coming from the Howard Johnson that used to stand on Central Avenue where Clark ShopRite now is, Waterson and his partner found a robbery in progress.
As the officers gave chase, the suspect fired several times, hitting Waterson once, fatally, in the chest. Years later, a suspect was arrested but never proven guilty.
A memorial to Waterson stands outside Clark Police Headquarters. In 2008, the department added a decal honoring Waterson to their police vehicles.
