End of Watch September 17, 1988
Age 34
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Badge 809
The Vigil Panel 133 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Dean James was shot and killed when he attempted to arrest a suspect who had escaped from the Hopi Tribal Jail the previous day. Officer James was en route to work when he observed the escapee hitchhiking along the highway. When Officer James exited his vehicle the man opened fire with a .22 caliber rifle. Despite being mortally wounded, Officer James was able to return fire and shot the man several times, wounding him. The man was arrested at the scene. He was convicted of Officer James' murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Officer James was assigned to the Hopi Tribal Police in Arizona and had served with the agency for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three sons, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-1687FD20
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.
Police Officer James gave the United States Department of the Interior 4 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer James.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdibiaojsfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 17, 1988
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 34
Badge Number 809
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

Police Officer Dean Martin James 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, 45 of 52 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 86.5% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services
45
of 52 officers
86.5% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dean Martin James's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Dean Martin James Compares

Age at Death
34
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
4
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Dean Martin James is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Dean Martin James was killed by rifle.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location