Paul Benedict Oatman
Agency patch
Officer

Paul Benedict Oatman

Accident
End of Watch May 12, 1967
Age 32
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Paul Oatman was killed in a motorcycle accident when a patrol car from another agency struck his tri-car at the intersection of Arsenal Street and Grand Boulevard. The other patrol car was transporting a child to the hospital at the time.

Survivors

Officer Oatman had been with the agency for ten years and was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Oatman gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Oatman.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, City of Saint Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 12, 1967
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Paul is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

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

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1967, 73 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 38th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Paul was 32. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Paul had served 10 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8.6% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 15.1%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Paul among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Paul Benedict Oatman

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch May 12, 1967

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 15-E

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