Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

James Loyd Stapp

Sweetwater Police Department — Sweetwater, TN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 16, 1977

Age 59

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

The Vigil Panel 118 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military

Incident

Patrolman Stapp was shot and killed by a suspect with a 12-gauge shotgun. The man was sentenced to life and was denied parole in 2000. He later died in prison. Patrolman Stapp had been with the agency for 17 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-D31853D0
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. James is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Stapp gave the Sweetwater Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sweetwater community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Stapp.

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

Agency

Department Sweetwater Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Sweetwater, TN

Platform Identity spd.monroe.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1977

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

Age 59

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

James Loyd Stapp served in the U.S. Army (1944â1946) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman James Loyd Stapp 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 64.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Sweetwater Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% 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 Loyd Stapp's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

1 (0%)

Accident

1 (0%)

Illness

1 (0%)

Cardiac

1 (0%)

Undetermined

1 (0%)

Suicide

1 (0%)

How James Loyd Stapp 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 Loyd Stapp is highlighted in Jan.

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 Loyd Stapp was killed by shotgun.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909

Military Service

James Loyd Stapp served in the U.S. Army (1944–1946) before joining law enforcement.

Visit James Loyd Stapp’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Sweetwater Police Department are honored on badge.nw.