Roll of Honor

Prev Next

Investigator

B. Cowart

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Bureau of Investigation — Jackson, MS

Cardiac Veteran →

End of Watch August 6, 1965

Age 53

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Badge B-13

The Vigil Panel 100 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Investigator B. Cowart suffered a fatal heart attack after being assaulted by a prisoner at the Clay County Jail.

He was assisting West Point police officers with a civil rights march of students at Mississippi State University and was searching for a student who had been arrested for blocking a sidewalk. The student suddenly spun around, grabbed Investigator Cowart, and pushed him to the ground. Investigator Cowart suffered a heart attack and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The student was charged with manslaughter, but the charges were later dismissed.

Investigator Cowart was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for 19 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and four siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MS-9F4EF6E0
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew B.. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

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.
Investigator Cowart gave the Mississippi Department of Public Safety 19 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Bureau of Investigation

Location Jackson, MS

Platform Identity mdpsbidps.ms.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 6, 1965

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 53

Badge Number B-13

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Weapon Person

Offender Charges dismissed

Military Service

B. Cowart served in the Army (1942â1945) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Investigator B. Cowart is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MS, 9 of 349 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 2.6% of this state's fallen. That is 1.4 percentage points below the national rate of 4%.

Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Bureau of Investigation

of 1 officers

100% Cardiac

MS — Statewide

of 349 officers

2.6% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. B. Cowart's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How B. Cowart Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 48.6 years

Years of Service