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Detective

Arleigh Eugene McCree

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch February 8, 1986

Age 46

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Badge 12241

The Vigil Panel 289 · Column 1 · Line 13 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 239

Incident

Detective Arleigh McCree and Officer Ronald Ball were killed while attempting to defuse two booby-trapped pipe bombs. The officers, both members of the Bomb Squad, were called to a home that was being searched in connection with a shooting. The officers conducting the search located the two pipe bombs in a garage and called the Bomb Squad to the scene. While examining the devices, the officers determined they were booby-trapped and moved all of the other officers away from the scene. As Detective McCree and Officer Ball attempted to defuse the bombs, they detonated, killing Detective McCree instantly and fatally wounding Officer Ball, who succumbed to the wounds at a local hospital several hours later. Detective McCree was a U.S. Navy veteran and a world-renowned bomb expert who assisted with the investigation of the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon. He was even offered a high-paying job by the dictator Moammar Khadafy to train terrorists how to build bombs. He served with the Los Angeles Police Department for 21 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective McCree gave the Los Angeles Police Department 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Los Angeles Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA

Platform Identity lapd.losangeles.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 8, 1986

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Age 46

Badge Number 12241

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Explosives

Military Service

Arleigh Eugene McCree served in the U.S. Navy (1957â1964) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Arleigh is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1986, 98 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 54th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Arleigh was 46. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Arleigh had served 21 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

February holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was explosives, in 0.3% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded