James E. Fenn
Agency patch
Officer

James E. Fenn

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX
Felonious
End of Watch March 15, 1891
Age 31
The Vigil Panel 10 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer James Fenn was shot and killed in the Second Ward by a man seeking revenge for being arrested by Officer Fenn. Officer Fenn had responded to a bar for a call and was talking to one of his friends in the band when he spotted the man holding a pistol. As he approached the suspect the man shot him several times in the abdomen. Officer Fenn was taken to a local doctor's home where he succumbed to injuries shortly after midnight. The subject was executed on August 12, 1892.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-11AEC7DD
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

135 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Fenn served with the Houston Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Houston, Harris County, TX
Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 15, 1891
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Officer James E. Fenn 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 TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Houston Police Department, 84 of 117 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.8% of this agency's fallen.

Houston Police Department
84
of 117 officers
71.8% Felonious
TX — Statewide
1,461
of 2,422 officers
60.3% 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. James E. Fenn's cause is highlighted.

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

How James E. Fenn Compares

Age at Death
31
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James E. Fenn is highlighted in Mar.

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. James E. Fenn was killed by handgun.

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