Officer William G. Newberry, 30, with two years of service, and his new partner Officer James Thornton — on his very first day of duty — were assigned to the Downie Brothers' Circus at Campbell Park on October 16, 1937. Early that evening they ordered an intoxicated man to leave. He returned minutes later with a gun, shooting Thornton from behind and killing him instantly, then shooting Newberry twice. Despite his wounds, Newberry drew his firearm with his left hand and fired three rounds as the man fled.
Officer Newberry died the following day — the seventh St. Petersburg police officer killed in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife, Nina, and their two young children, William and Norma, as well as his brother Robert, who later became a lieutenant with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The shooter was subsequently killed by another officer.
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