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
- Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtp7cfsqk7g4ms124hf93- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- 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
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Illness
Memphis Police Department has lost 94 officers; 16 of them lost to illness.
Harry is one of 43 officers lost to illness in TN, 5.6% of the 769 remembered there.
Harry is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.
Harry is one of 2,979 officers lost to illness worldwide, 8.7% of the 34,103 remembered here.
34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1926, 1 officer at Memphis Police Department was lost to illness, the 3rd heaviest of 6 years on record. The heaviest was 1878, with 10.
In 1926, 1 officer in TN was lost to illness, the 6th heaviest of 9 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 19.
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.
In 1926, 6 officers worldwide were lost to illness, the 92nd heaviest of 197 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 566.
Who
Harry was 49. Of the 16 lost to illness at Memphis Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 35 and 45; the middle age was 40. Harry had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 7 years.
Harry was 49. Of the 43 lost to illness in TN whose age is recorded, half were between 38 and 54.5; the middle age was 45. Harry had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 16 years.
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.
Harry was 49. Of the 2,916 lost to illness worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 39 and 56; the middle age was 49. Harry had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
When
July holds 12.5% of these deaths at Memphis Police Department; August holds the most, 37.5%. Wednesdays: 18.8%.
July holds 7% of these deaths in TN; September holds the most, 30.2%. Wednesdays: 16.3%.
July holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Wednesdays: 14%.
July holds 7.3% of these deaths worldwide; October holds the most, 12.6%. Wednesdays: 13.6%.
How
Illness deaths account for 17% of all 94 deaths at Memphis Police Department, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 6.3% of these deaths.
Illness deaths account for 5.6% of all 769 deaths in TN, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 2.3% of these deaths.
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.
Illness deaths account for 8.7% of all 34,103 deaths worldwide, the 3rd most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 0.4% of these deaths.
His people
Memphis Police Department has 94 officers remembered here, Harry among them.
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W. Stith Tucker May 5, 1860
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John W. Causey Dec 31, 1861
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W. C. Stockham Feb 22, 1865
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William Mower Mar 1, 1866
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John Stevens May 1, 1866
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John M. Claridge Apr 24, 1867
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Walter M. Rogers Jun 4, 1867
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John M. Fenton Dec 31, 1867
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John Gear Mar 13, 1868
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James Somers Perry Jun 12, 1868
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Darwin J. Finch Mar 8, 1869
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John Regan Jul 13, 1870
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James McConnell Aug 12, 1878
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Michael Cannon Aug 22, 1878
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William Unverzagt Aug 24, 1878
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Patrick Ryder Aug 26, 1878
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Morrison M. Allison Aug 31, 1878
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John J. Huber Sep 2, 1878
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Charles R. Staley Sep 10, 1878
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Timothy Hope
Sep 17, 1878
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William M. Homan Sep 25, 1878
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Reuben C. Manuel Oct 14, 1878
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Rufus Chalmers Parkinson
Nov 2, 1894
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Joseph A. Perkins
Jul 17, 1900
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Robert C. Jameson
Oct 17, 1904
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W. Edwin Miller
Feb 10, 1907
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John H. Ryan
Mar 19, 1910
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John M. Taylor
Jun 22, 1912
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Andrew Jackson
Jan 14, 1914
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Julius S. Brett Aug 30, 1915
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Edward T. Broadfoot
Feb 23, 1918
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Felix Allen
Oct 8, 1918
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Andrew Lycurgus White
Apr 13, 1919
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John C. Brinkley
Jun 13, 1919
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Guy Sydney Saint
Jan 7, 1920
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Victor Louis Zambroni Mar 23, 1920
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James Sidney Holmes
Sep 21, 1920
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James J. McNeill
Dec 22, 1920
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Polk Alonzo Caraway
Aug 10, 1921
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Vincent Nicholas Lucarini
Aug 10, 1921
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James Alonzo Bell
Sep 2, 1921
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Presley Thornton Fleet
Nov 3, 1921
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Jesse P. Wooten Feb 21, 1922
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Charles F. Stevens
Aug 4, 1923
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T. B. Hindman Knox
Apr 5, 1925
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Harry Clemmons Elmore Jul 28, 1926
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Willis Riley Bridges
Apr 20, 1929
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Walter H. McEwen
Dec 30, 1929
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Charles J. Redders, Sr.
Nov 8, 1931
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Roy A. Scott
Feb 20, 1936
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George W. Ham
Feb 27, 1936
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Charles C. Musick
Jul 2, 1937
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John Cannon Jun 30, 1939
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James E. Walker
Apr 12, 1952
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Joseph Palazolla
Nov 30, 1959
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Frank Bruno, Jr.
Oct 7, 1960
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Morris E. White
Nov 20, 1963
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James E. Harper, Jr.
Feb 12, 1964
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Dennis J. Jobe
Sep 22, 1970
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Michael D. Wright, Jr.
Sep 9, 1972
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David Wayne Clark
May 21, 1973
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Edward John Hammond, Jr.
Nov 23, 1973
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McCord Lee Springfield, Jr.
Mar 12, 1977
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James N. Bush, Jr.
Dec 29, 1978
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James Lee Jefferson
Aug 18, 1979
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Clarence Purvis Cox, Jr.
May 12, 1981
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Ronald D. Oliver
Aug 5, 1981
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Larry Paul Childress
Jan 14, 1982
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Charles L. Harrison
May 6, 1982
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John Wesley Sykes, Jr.
Dec 31, 1982
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Robert Sterling Hester
Jan 12, 1983
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Booker T. Shaw
Dec 17, 1985
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John Edward Reeve
Sep 9, 1991
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Rufus Gates
Nov 7, 1994
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Dannael James Weekes
Mar 7, 1997
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Don Williams
Jan 29, 1998
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Don Lee Overton
Oct 12, 1999
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John Harold Robinson, Jr.
Dec 1, 1999
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Clayton Wayne Hicks, Jr.
Nov 14, 2000
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Anthony Louis Woods
Aug 27, 2003
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Marlon Allen Titus
Mar 30, 2004
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Timothy Felton Warren
Jul 3, 2011
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Martoiya Veontwanneice Woods Lang
Dec 14, 2012
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Sean Michael Bolton
Aug 1, 2015
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Verdell Smith, Sr.
Jun 4, 2016
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Bobby Rodriguez Montgomery
Aug 16, 2020
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Christopher Scott Triplett
May 22, 2021
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Jimmie Alexander Shindler
Sep 20, 2021
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Darrell Dewayne Adams
Oct 2, 2021
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Michael Lewis Hill
Nov 4, 2021
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Corille Cortez Jones
Jan 20, 2022
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Geoffrey Bernard Redd
Feb 18, 2023
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Joseph Russell McKinney
Apr 12, 2024
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Demetrice Lavelle Johnson
Aug 2, 2024
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
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