James M. Froemsdorf
Agency patch
Trooper

James M. Froemsdorf

Missouri State Highway Patrol — Jefferson City, MO
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch March 2, 1985
Age 35
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Badge 261
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper James Froemsdorf was shot and killed with his own weapon after making a traffic stop. During the stop, he placed the driver in handcuffs and in the front seat of his cruiser so he could search the vehicle. He located identification and determined that the suspect was wanted on four warrants out of Texas. Meanwhile, the suspect was able to compress his hand, due to an old injury, to the size of his wrist and squeeze out of one of the handcuffs. The suspect then grabbed Trooper Froemsdorf's handgun and shot him several times. The suspect was later apprehended and sentenced to death. He was executed on July 11, 2001. Trooper Froemsdorf was a United States Army Vietnam War Military Police veteran and served with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for nine years, assigned to Troop C.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

In Our Keeping

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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 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.
Trooper Froemsdorf gave the Missouri State Highway Patrol 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Missouri, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Jefferson City, MO
Platform Identity mshp.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 2, 1985
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 35
Badge Number 261
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

Military Service

James M. Froemsdorf served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James 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.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1985, 99 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 52nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 35. 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. James had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Missouri State Highway Patrol has 33 officers remembered here, James among them.

Trooper James M. Froemsdorf

Missouri State Highway Patrol · End of Watch March 2, 1985

Military Service

James M. Froemsdorf served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit James M. Froemsdorf’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 12-E

Also Remembered

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