James Franklin Tindal
Detective

James Franklin Tindal

Charleston Police Department — Charleston, SC
Accident
End of Watch June 17, 1955
The Vigil Panel 91 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective James Tindal and Sergeant Jessie Benton were killed in an automobile accident near Holly Hill, South Carolina, while returning to Charleston to assist at the Charleston Tidewater Terminal fire. The two officers, along with their wives, had been in Charlotte, North Carolina, to represent the Charleston Police Department in a pistol competition. All members of the department were ordered to return to Charleston to assist at the scene of the fire. Policeman Lawrence Aytes had been killed in the fire while attempting to rescue a citizen.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-3D3BE29F
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.
Detective Tindal served with the Charleston Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Charleston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Tindal.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Charleston, SC
Platform Identity cpd.charleston.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 17, 1955
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Detective James Franklin Tindal 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 SC, 138 of 441 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.3% of this state's fallen. That is 31.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Charleston Police Department, 10 of 24 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 41.7% of this agency's fallen.

Charleston Police Department
10
of 24 officers
41.7% Accident
SC — Statewide
138
of 441 officers
31.3% 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 Franklin Tindal's cause is highlighted.

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

How James Franklin Tindal Compares

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Franklin Tindal is highlighted in Jun.

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

Incident Location