Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer James Ray was killed when his patrol car was struck by a water truck.
He had signaled that he was to make a left turn, but the truck driver misunderstood him and attempted to pass the patrol car. The vehicles collided, and both were sent into a ditch. Officer Ray died instantly. Another officer in the vehicle with Officer Ray suffered a broken back.
Officer Ray was a United States Marine Corps WWI veteran who had served with the Gering Police Department for four years and had previously served with the York Police Department for ten years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NE-00F2F0F6- 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. Marine Corps. 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 Ray gave the Gering Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gering community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Harvey Ray served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer James Harvey Ray 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 NE, 36 of 151 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.8% of this state's fallen. That is 23.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Harvey Ray's cause is highlighted.
How James Harvey Ray Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Harvey Ray is highlighted in Aug.
Military Service
James Harvey Ray served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Visit James Harvey Ray’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Gering Police Department are honored on badge.nw.