James Haskel Owens

Kansas City Police Department — Kansas City, MO

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch December 23, 1947

Age 50

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 119

Incident

Patrolman James Owens was struck in the head and killed by a psychiatric patient who was trying to escape from his cell at General Hospital No.2 at 22nd Street and McCoy Avenue (now Kenwood Avenue). The 32-year-old subject had been committed to the hospital six days earlier after his family complained they were unable to control him. Patrolman Owens went into the subject's room, attempting to calm him down when he became violent. The subject had broken out of his straight jacket and torn out his ventilator. Patrolman Haskins moved aside a chair to help subdue him when he was hit in the left side of his face. Patrolman Owens succumbed to his injuries. Patrolman Owens was a United States World War I Army veteran and had served with the Kansas City Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-E7022B33
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.
Patrolman Owens gave the Kansas City Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City 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 Kansas City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Kansas City, MO

Platform Identity kcpd.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 23, 1947

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object

Military Service

James Haskel Owens served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman James Haskel Owens 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Kansas City Police Department, 72 of 120 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Kansas City Police Department

of 120 officers

60% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious