Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer James Willis was killed in an automobile crash on Market Street while attempting to stop a speeding car. His patrol car went out of control, veered into the median, and then back onto the street. When his patrol car entered the street, it was struck by another car and sheered in half. Officer Willis was thrown from the car and sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to Northshore Hospital but was moved shortly thereafter to Ben Taub General Hospital with massive injuries to the head, face, and chest. A doctor from Northshore Hospital rode in the ambulance with Officer Willis to Ben Taub. Officer Willis died from those injuries at 2:30 p.m. the following day. Officer Willis was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Houston Police Department for less than eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two sons, mother, two sisters, and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-C5C64E6B- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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 Willis gave the Houston Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James Franklin Willis served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer James Franklin Willis is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Houston Police Department, 29 of 117 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Franklin Willis's cause is highlighted.
How James Franklin Willis Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Franklin Willis is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
116 officers from Houston Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
