James Earl Rhodes

Birmingham Police Department — Birmingham, AL

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch March 11, 1978

Age 32

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 149

The Vigil Panel 119 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 48

Incident

Police Officer James Rhodes was killed when his police motorcycle was struck by another vehicle while he escorted a funeral. Officer Rhodes was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Birmingham Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AL-824DFF01
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. James 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.
Police Officer Rhodes gave the Birmingham Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Birmingham 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 Birmingham Police Department

Type Other

Location Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL

Platform Identity birmpd.jefferson.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 11, 1978

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 32

Badge Number 149

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James Earl Rhodes served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer James Earl Rhodes is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In AL, 182 of 643 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.3% of this state's fallen. That is 28.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Birmingham Police Department, 14 of 49 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.

Birmingham Police Department

of 49 officers

28.6% Accident

AL — Statewide

182

of 643 officers

28.3% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident