James L. O'Malley
Agency patch
Sheriff

James L. O'Malley

Accident
End of Watch August 4, 1938
Age 37
Badge 40-1
The Vigil Panel 75 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sheriff James O'Malley was killed in an automobile accident while returning from Des Moines on a trip to receive the governor's signature for an extradition order. During severely dense fog his vehicle struck a bridge rail and he was killed.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-23E822C6
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.
Sheriff O'Malley served with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Webster City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff O'Malley.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Webster City, Hamilton County, IA
Platform Identity hcso.hamilton.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 4, 1938
Age 37
Badge Number 40-1
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Sheriff James L. O'Malley 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 IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 31.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Hamilton County Sheriff's Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Accident
IA — Statewide
71
of 226 officers
31.4% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James L. O'Malley's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How James L. O'Malley Compares

Age at Death
37
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James L. O'Malley is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Others Who Wore This Badge

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