Roll of Honor

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Deputy Sheriff

James Vernon Fish

Kent County Sheriff's Office — Warwick, RI

Felonious

End of Watch January 16, 1901

Age 42

The Vigil Panel 16 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Deputy Sheriff James Fish was shot and killed in West Greenwich while attempting to arrest three men who were suspected of having been attendants at a cockfight.

Deputy Fish was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence, where he died three days later.

The suspects escaped.

Deputy Fish was survived by is wife, daughter, and parents. He is buried in Woodland Cemetery in Providence.

Survivors

Deputy Fish was survived by is wife, daughter, and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RI-968BA8F3
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.
Deputy Sheriff Fish served with the Kent County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Warwick community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Fish.

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

Agency

Department Kent County Sheriff's Office

Location Warwick, RI

Platform Identity kcso.kent.ri.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1901

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Escaped

Deputy Sheriff James Vernon Fish 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 RI, 25 of 55 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 45.5% of this state's fallen. That is 8.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

Kent County Sheriff's Office

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

RI — Statewide

of 55 officers

45.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Vernon Fish'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 James Vernon Fish Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Offender Outcome

Escaped

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Vernon Fish is highlighted in Jan.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Vernon Fish was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518