Who was Kirkwood police officer William McEntee?

THE LIFE of Kirkwood Police Sgt William McEntee tragically came to an end in 2005 after he was killed in the line of duty.

His killer, Kevin Johnson, was then sentenced to death and later executed on November 29, 2022.

Who was Kirkwood police officer William McEntee?

William "Bill" McEntee was a 20-year veteran of the Kirkwood Police Department in Missouri.

On July 5, 2005, he was shot and killed while responding to a fireworks call in Kevin Johnson's neighborhood.

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Earlier in the day, McEntee and other officers were at Johnson's home to serve a warrant against him for a probation violation.

During that time, Johnson's 12-year-old brother ran next door to their grandmother's house and suffered a seizure due to a congenital heart defect. He later died at the hospital.

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Johnson ultimately blamed police for his brother's death, testifying in court that McEntee would not allow their mother into the house to aid his brother, so when the officer returned to his neighborhood, he approached the patrol car and opened fire.

Bullets went through McEntee's leg, head, and torso, according to The Washington Post.

After fleeing the scene, Johnson returned to find McEntee kneeling near his patrol car and he then proceeded to fire two more shots, one in the back and one in the head, killing him, The Post adds.

Where is Kevin Johnson now?

Just days after McEntee's death, Johnson turned himself in and confessed to the shooting, according to NBC News.

As a result, he was sentenced to death but continued to appeal the decision, claiming that racial discrimination played a role in his sentence.

“Make no mistake about it, Missouri capitally prosecuted, sentenced to death, and killed Kevin because he is Black," his attorney, Shawn Nolan said.

His last appeal was denied by the Supreme Court just hours before his death but court records show that Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have granted it, according to NBC News.

Johnson was pronounced dead at 7.40pm CT on November 29, 2022, after receiving a lethal injection.

Was William McEntee married?

McEntee was 43 years old at the time of his death and left behind a wife and three kids, ages 7, 10, and 13.

“They didn’t have a chance to say goodbye,” Mary McEntee said, via NBC News.

“It took 17 years of grieving and pushing forward to get to this point today. This is something I hope no other family has to go through.”

At this time, little information is available on McEntee's family because they often stay out of the spotlight.