Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

James O'Brien

Temple Police Department — Temple, TX

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch November 21, 2003

Age 38

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 151 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

Officer James O'Brien was killed in a motorcycle crash on North 31st Street at 4:00 p.m. while en route to provide a police escort.

His motorcycle struck the back of a vehicle that was stopped in the left lane attempting to make a left-hand turn. Officer O'Brien was transported to Scott and White Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Officer O'Brien was a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve veteran and had served with the Temple Police Department for 7 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his son and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-DB6E6FC5
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew James. Claim this record.

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 O'Brien gave the Temple Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Temple 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 Temple Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Temple, Bell County, TX

Platform Identity tpd.bell.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 21, 2003

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James O'Brien served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer James O'Brien 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 TX, 657 of 2,422 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 Temple Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Temple Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Accident

TX — Statewide

657

of 2,422 officers

27.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Accident