Patrolman

Harry Clemmons Elmore

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN
Illness
End of Watch July 28, 1926
Age 49
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Harry Elmore suffered a fatal stroke while pursuing suspected rum runners along Jones Avenue at about 11:30 pm.

He and his partner attempted to stop the vehicle on Breedlove Street for driving without headlights. The vehicle fled onto Chelsea Avenue and then north on Jones Avenue. They pursued the car outside of the city limits when Patrolman Elmore suddenly slumped over the steering wheel as they approached the Wolf River Bridge (approximately 500 feet west of the modern-day I-40 bridge). Their vehicle left the roadway and went down a 25-foot embankment.

Patrolman Elmore was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Patrolman Elmore had served with the Memphis Police Department for at least six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, and siblings.

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.
Patrolman Elmore gave the Memphis Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Elmore.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Memphis, Shelby County, TN
Platform Identity mpd.shelby.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 28, 1926
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Duty related illness
Weapon Person

The Sacrifice · Illness

Harry is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% 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 1926, 2 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 46th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Harry was 49. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Harry had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

July holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Wednesdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 0.6% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Memphis Police Department has 94 officers remembered here, Harry among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman Harry Clemmons Elmore

Memphis Police Department · End of Watch July 28, 1926

Where the Name Is Cut

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