James Edward Daly, Jr.

Montgomery County Police Department — Gaithersburg, MD

Felonious

End of Watch March 28, 1976

Age 43

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 20

Incident

Corporal Frontczak and Captain James Daly were shot and killed as they attempted to arrest a man who had just robbed a Potomac Savings and Loan Association office. Minutes after the teller phoned in a description of the suspect and his vehicle to police, Corporal Frontczak radioed that he had spotted the car on Democracy Boulevard near the Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. Captain Daly joined Corporal Frontczak in pursuing the vehicle into a field near the shopping center. As the two officers exited their vehicles and drew their weapons, the suspect opened fire with a shotgun, striking Corporal Frontczak in the face and Captain Daly in the head. Each officer fired once at the suspect before collapsing. A third officer discovered the wounded officers and called for medical assistance. Both were rushed to Suburban Hospital in extremely critical condition. Captain Daly was removed from life support on March 28 after doctors determined that his injuries had rendered him brain dead. Corporal Frontczak succumbed to his injuries 21 hours later. Two days after the shooting, a man informed police that his son, a high school drop-out who was AWOL from the Army, might be involved. The South Carolina Highway Patrol placed the suspect under arrest several hours later. He was charged with the murders of Corporal Frontczak and Captain Daly, as well as the slaying of a 17-year-old boy that had taken place in August 1975. The suspect pled guilty to all charges, confessing that he had shot the officers because they had drawn their weapons and that he had shot the 17-year-old in the back simply because he wanted to shoot someone, and the boy was the first to walk by him. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences but was allowed out on furloughs ten years later. Captain Daly was a 19-year veteran of the Montgomery County Police Department.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-6155AEEF
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.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Captain Daly gave the Montgomery County Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gaithersburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Daly.

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

Agency

Department Montgomery County Police Department

Location Gaithersburg, MD

Platform Identity mcpd.montgomery.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 28, 1976

Tour of Duty 19 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Sentenced to life

Captain James Edward Daly, Jr. is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 195 of 377 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 51.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.5 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Montgomery County Police Department, 8 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 38.1% of this agency's fallen.

Montgomery County Police Department

of 21 officers

38.1% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious