Incident
Detective Harry Hamilton was killed when he and his partner attempted to arrest a suspect in a stolen car. Detective Hamilton and his partner were approaching the occupied stolen auto, which was parked near Q Street and Florida Avenue, NE, when the driver spotted the detectives and proceeded to drive off. The detectives grabbed onto the sides of the auto and held on as the car accelerated straight into a tractor-trailer near the intersection of Florida Avenue and New York Avenue, NE. Detective Hamilton died from a broken back and fractured skull.
Survivors
Detective Hamilton was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtmyqrahdzbjx3x46fe5w- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Harry. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Hamilton served with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Hamilton.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Felonious
Metropolitan Police Department has lost 131 officers; 70 of them killed feloniously.
Harry is one of 754 officers killed feloniously in DC, 53.1% of the 1,419 remembered there.
Harry is one of 15,741 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.2% of the 27,543 remembered there.
Harry is one of 17,629 officers killed feloniously worldwide, 52% of the 33,910 remembered here.
33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1946, 3 officers at Metropolitan Police Department were killed feloniously, the 2nd heaviest of 50 years on record. The heaviest was 1971, with 4.
In 1946, 6 officers in DC were killed feloniously, the 37th heaviest of 159 years on record. The heaviest was 1922, with 20.
In 1946, 91 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 62nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.
In 1946, 93 officers worldwide were killed feloniously, the 67th heaviest of 265 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 516.
Who
Harry was 39. Of the 68 killed feloniously at Metropolitan Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 26 and 39; the middle age was 31.
Harry was 39. Of the 580 killed feloniously in DC whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 44; the middle age was 36.
Harry was 39. Of the 14,215 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.
Harry was 39. Of the 15,849 killed feloniously worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 38.
When
November holds 8.6% of these deaths at Metropolitan Police Department; May holds the most, 14.3%. Fridays: 14.3%.
November holds 7.2% of these deaths in DC; July holds the most, 11.7%. Fridays: 16.2%.
November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.
November holds 8.2% of these deaths worldwide; December holds the most, 9.2%. Fridays: 14.3%.
How
Felonious deaths account for 53.4% of all 131 deaths at Metropolitan Police Department, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 11.4% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 53.1% of all 1,419 deaths in DC, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 2.4% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 52% of all 33,910 deaths worldwide, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.4% of these deaths.
His people
Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Harry among them.
-
Francis M. Doyle
Dec 29, 1871
-
Robert Fleet Aug 20, 1874
-
John H. Fowler Sep 9, 1884
-
Americus N. Crippin Nov 5, 1889
-
Adolphus C. Constantine Sep 10, 1891
-
Junius B. Slack Nov 27, 1891
-
Frederick M. Passau
May 17, 1899
-
John J. Smith
Jul 7, 1904
-
William E. Yetton
Nov 9, 1908
-
William H. Mathews
Mar 5, 1909
-
Eugene Calvin Smith
Jan 1, 1910
-
William Charles Farquhar
Oct 22, 1913
-
Willie R. Gawen Mar 2, 1915
-
John A. Conrad
May 21, 1918
-
David T. Dunigan
May 21, 1918
-
Lester M. Kidwell
Jul 11, 1918
-
Joseph Presley Marcus Barker
Oct 10, 1918
-
Archie Auran
Oct 11, 1918
-
John Wesley Conrad Oct 19, 1918
-
John Frederick Jeffries
Oct 19, 1918
-
John R. Bennett
Oct 25, 1918
-
Harry Wilson
Jul 21, 1919
-
Isaac B. Halbfinger
Jul 22, 1919
-
James E. Armstrong
Dec 20, 1919
-
Oscar A. McKimmie
Jan 17, 1920
-
Preston E. Bradley
Feb 21, 1921
-
Samuel C. Hayden Feb 27, 1921
-
George D. Chinn
Oct 20, 1921
-
Edmund P. Keleher Jan 10, 1922
-
Frederick G. Stange Feb 28, 1923
-
John Purcell Oct 17, 1923
-
Raymond C. Leisinger
Aug 28, 1924
-
Claude C. Koontz Nov 30, 1925
-
Earl A. Skinner Jun 9, 1926
-
Leo W. Karl Busch
Sep 28, 1926
-
James G. Helm Feb 11, 1928
-
Claude O. Rupe
Oct 14, 1928
-
John Francis McAuliffe
Jan 21, 1929
-
William S. Buchanan
Apr 18, 1929
-
Harry J. McDonald Jul 22, 1929
-
Edgar Preston Alexander
Nov 16, 1929
-
Ross H. Kaylor
Dec 10, 1929
-
Frederick W. Bauer Jun 6, 1930
-
Frank J. Scoville Sep 24, 1930
-
Jessie L. Taylor
May 17, 1931
-
Charles D. Poole
Aug 4, 1931
-
Arthur H. Gelhar
Aug 8, 1931
-
Elmer A. Swanson
Jul 5, 1932
-
George W. Shinault
Aug 14, 1932
-
Raymond V. Sinclair
Dec 28, 1934
-
Frank L. Nussbaum
Feb 16, 1936
-
Paul W. Jones
Mar 14, 1936
-
Ernest T. Wessells Apr 23, 1938
-
Richard T. Conklin
Jun 5, 1938
-
Raymond E. Grant
Aug 14, 1939
-
Robert W. Davis
Jan 1, 1940
-
Charles F. Cummins, Jr.
Jun 12, 1940
-
Uel M. Gaile
Aug 19, 1940
-
Irving Rosenburg
Feb 15, 1942
-
Charles R. Johnston
May 9, 1943
-
William J. Weston, Jr. Mar 4, 1945
-
Donald W. Downs
Sep 1, 1946
-
Harry E. Hamilton
Nov 1, 1946
-
Richard H. Taylor
Dec 13, 1946
-
Hubert W. Estes
May 16, 1947
-
Mortimer P. Donoghue
Sep 16, 1948
-
Grady A. Beacham
Dec 2, 1948
-
George W. Cassels
Jul 12, 1953
-
Lester G. Myers
Nov 13, 1958
-
Harold K. Shelton
May 3, 1959
-
Donald Joseph Brereton
Jan 7, 1960
-
Terrell Monroe Dodson
Apr 17, 1960
-
James Roche
Jun 30, 1962
-
Elmer L. Hunter
Mar 20, 1963
-
David Clark Higginbotham
Dec 7, 1963
-
Robert D. Handwerk
Jan 24, 1964
-
Martin I. Donovan
Jul 9, 1964
-
Marcus Preston Willis
Dec 27, 1965
-
Marvin Lee Stocker
Mar 23, 1966
-
Russell W. Ponton
May 2, 1967
-
Gilbert Moral Silvia
Nov 25, 1967
-
Lawrence Lewellyn Dorsey
Feb 2, 1968
-
Eugene I. Williams
Feb 27, 1968
-
Stephen Acheson Williams
Jul 2, 1968
-
Willie C. Ivery, Jr.
Nov 15, 1968
-
Michael J. Cody
Jul 14, 1969
-
David C. Hawfield
Jul 14, 1969
-
Allan L. Nairn
Nov 30, 1969
-
David Harry Rose
Feb 20, 1971
-
Glen Patrick Fisher
Mar 10, 1971
-
Jerrard Foster Young
May 21, 1971
-
William L. Sigmon
May 25, 1971
-
Jerry Wayne Morris
Dec 4, 1971
-
Dana Edward Harwood
Sep 25, 1972
-
Ronnie W. Hassell
Dec 2, 1972
-
George D. Jones, Jr.
Mar 24, 1973
-
Gail A. Cobb
Sep 20, 1974
-
Michael J. Acri
Oct 16, 1976
-
Bruce W. Wilson
Apr 26, 1977
-
Bernis Carr, Jr.
Feb 16, 1978
-
Richard F. Giguere
Jun 6, 1979
-
Alfred V. Jackson
Jun 6, 1979
-
Arthur P. Snyder
Feb 12, 1980
-
Donald G. Luning
Sep 14, 1982
-
Robert K. Best
Dec 15, 1982
-
Raymond E. Mumford
Mar 11, 1983
-
Joseph M. Cournoyer
Jan 29, 1985
-
Kevin Joseph Welsh
Aug 4, 1986
-
Robert Remington
May 19, 1987
-
James L. Gordon
Dec 14, 1987
-
Ernest Carlyle Ricks, III
May 16, 1989
-
Jason Edward White
Dec 30, 1993
-
Henry Joseph Daly
Nov 22, 1994
-
James Madison McGee, Jr.
Feb 7, 1995
-
Scot Shaffer Lewis
Oct 9, 1995
-
Anthony W. Simms
Jun 3, 1996
-
Brian T. A. Gibson
Feb 5, 1997
-
Oliver Wendell Smith, Jr.
Feb 26, 1997
-
Robert Louis Johnson, Jr.
Apr 27, 1997
-
Thomas Franklin Hamlette, Jr.
Jul 18, 1998
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 20-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
130 officers from Metropolitan Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















