James Melvin Forbes

Seattle Police Department — Seattle, WA

Accident

End of Watch June 21, 1974

Age 32

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 59

Incident

Officer Forbes and Officer James St. DeLore were killed when their Bell 47 police helicopter collided in mid-air with a Cessna 150. The officers were responding to a weapon call in the south end of the city when the two aircraft collided near 37th Avenue South and South Benefit Street. The Cessna was approaching Boeing Field to land with the aircraft collided. Both occupants of the plane were also killed. Officer Forbes had served with the Seattle Police Department for 15 years.

Survivors

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

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WA-992C0385
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Forbes gave the Seattle Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Seattle community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Forbes.

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

Agency

Department Seattle Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Seattle, King County, WA

Platform Identity seatpd.king.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 21, 1974

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer James Melvin Forbes is one of 10,095 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,587 officers honored here.

In WA, 111 of 340 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.6% of this state's fallen. That is 1.6 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Seattle Police Department, 16 of 60 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.7% of this agency's fallen.

Seattle Police Department

of 60 officers

26.7% Accident

WA — Statewide

111

of 340 officers

32.6% Accident

Nationwide

10,095

of 32,587 officers

31% Accident