Roll of Honor
James Daniel McSweeney
Incident
Deputy Sheriff James McSweeney was killed in a helicopter accident while working on a multi-agency narcotics task force along the United States border. A suspicious vehicle was spotted in a canyon on a remote access road in the Mountain Springs Grade area. The UH-1H helicopter began to descend when its rotor blades struck power lines and caused it to crash in the foothills of the Laguna Mountains. Also killed in the accident were Investigator Michael Davis of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Roy Chester of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Sergeant Richard Romero of the Imperial County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Mark Tonkin of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and the three California National Guard crew members operating the flight. Deputy McSweeney had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 12 years.
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- 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 McSweeney gave the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Los Angeles community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff McSweeney.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Daniel McSweeney served in the U.S. Air Force (1963â1967) before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Sheriff James Daniel McSweeney is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 39.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, 50 of 120 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 41.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Daniel McSweeney's cause is highlighted.
How James Daniel McSweeney Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Daniel McSweeney is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Military Service
James Daniel McSweeney served in the U.S. Air Force (1963–1967) before joining law enforcement.
Visit James Daniel McSweeney’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
119 officers from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
