Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective James Young was inadvertently shot and killed by another officer during a shootout with a larceny suspect near the foot of 3rd Street.
Two men had been caught trying to steal items from a third man inside of a hotel on East Bank Street. The men fled and then brandished pistols at several citizens on Bollingbrook Street. Detective Young encountered them and identified himself as an officer as the walked toward the end of 3rd Street.
One of the men surrendered his pistol to Detective Young but the other resisted arrest and the two exchanged shots as another officer arrived at the location. The officer also shot at the subject, but inadvertently struck Detective Young who died moments later. Detective Young's shot had struck the subject, who also died.
Detective Young had served with the Petersburg Police Department for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his two brothers and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-E3697EF7- 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 Young gave the Petersburg Bureau of Police 3 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Young.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective James M. Young 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 VA, 204 of 656 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 31.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Petersburg Bureau of Police, 2 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James M. Young's cause is highlighted.
How James M. Young Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James M. Young is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Petersburg Bureau of Police are honored on badge.nw.
