James J. Shaw
Agency patch
Officer

James J. Shaw

Mobile Police Department — Mobile, AL
Felonious
End of Watch December 21, 1924
Age 28
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Badge 78
The Vigil Panel 48 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Jim Shaw was stabbed to death while attempting to arrest a burglar who had broke into a local grocery store. Officer Shaw managed to fire at the suspect as he fled the scene. The 46-year-old suspect was later found at his home in his bed, dead from three gunshot wounds. Officer Shaw had served with the Mobile Police Department for only 18 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-587C61C9
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

You barely got started.
Officer Shaw gave the Mobile Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Mobile community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Shaw.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Mobile, Mobile County, AL
Platform Identity mpd.mobile.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 21, 1924
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 6 mo
Age 28
Badge Number 78
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Edged weapon

Officer James J. Shaw 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 63 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Mobile Police Department, 18 of 23 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 78.3% of this agency's fallen.

Mobile Police Department
18
of 23 officers
78.3% Felonious
AL — Statewide
405
of 643 officers
63% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

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

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

How James J. Shaw Compares

Age at Death
28
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1.5
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James J. Shaw is highlighted in Dec.

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. James J. Shaw was killed by edged weapon.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909