Roll of Honor

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Detective

Arleigh Eugene McCree

Los Angeles Police Department — Los Angeles, CA

Veteran → Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch February 8, 1986

Age 46

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Badge 12241

The Vigil Panel 130 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military 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

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-FDDA0ACF
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps, salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 3 gates. Arleigh is one person.

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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 →

Detective Arleigh Eugene McCree is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In CA, 974 of 1,837 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53% of this state's fallen. That is 53 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Los Angeles Police Department, 115 of 240 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.9% of this agency's fallen.

Los Angeles Police Department

115

of 240 officers

47.9% Felonious

CA — Statewide

974

of 1,837 officers

53% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious