Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

James Franklin Willis

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 1, 1964

Age 39

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 9 mo

Badge 1308

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 116

Incident

Police Officer James Willis was killed in an automobile crash on Market Street while attempting to stop a speeding car. His patrol car went out of control, veered into the median, and then back onto the street. When his patrol car entered the street, it was struck by another car and sheered in half. Officer Willis was thrown from the car and sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to Northshore Hospital but was moved shortly thereafter to Ben Taub General Hospital with massive injuries to the head, face, and chest. A doctor from Northshore Hospital rode in the ambulance with Officer Willis to Ben Taub. Officer Willis died from those injuries at 2:30 p.m. the following day. Officer Willis was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Houston Police Department for less than eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, mother, two sisters, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-C5C64E6B
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 Willis gave the Houston Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston 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 Houston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Houston, Harris County, TX

Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 1, 1964

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 9 mo

Age 39

Badge Number 1308

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James Franklin Willis served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer James Franklin Willis 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 TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Houston Police Department, 29 of 117 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this agency's fallen.

Houston Police Department

of 117 officers

24.8% Accident

TX — Statewide

657

of 2,421 officers

27.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident