Roll of Honor

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Deputy Sheriff

James R. Kenney

Clay County Sheriff's Department — Clay Center, KS

Felonious

End of Watch November 16, 1999

Age 62

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 146 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Deputy Sheriff James Kenney was shot and killed as he and other officers were attempting to arrest a jail escapee.

The suspect and two other inmates overpowered two corrections officers and escaped from a local jail. The two other inmates were arrested soon thereafter, however, the suspect escaped to his home. Deputy Kenney, and his canine Copper, went to the house to arrest him and was met with gunfire. Both he and Copper were shot and killed.

The suspect was then arrested by other officers and charged with premeditated first-degree murder and with inflicting death on a police dog.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-KS-3AC0CE1A
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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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Kenney gave the Clay County Sheriff's Office 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Clay Center community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Kenney.

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

Agency

Department Clay County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Clay Center, KS

Platform Identity ccso.butler.ks.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 16, 1999

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 62

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Deputy Sheriff James R. Kenney 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In KS, 237 of 335 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.7% of this state's fallen. That is 70.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Clay County Sheriff's Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

KS — Statewide

237

of 335 officers

70.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James R. Kenney's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How James R. Kenney Compares

Age at Death

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James R. Kenney is highlighted in Nov.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,516

May

1,504

Jun

1,442

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,517

Sep

1,491

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Clay County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.