Incident
Trooper Leo LaVelle succumbed to injuries received in a motorcycle crash two months earlier while on patrol on Route 80 near Rapids City. Trooper LaVelle was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Illinois State Police for one year. He had previously worked with the Los Angeles Police Department, California, for nine years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, mother, and two sisters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-F00CCA0B- 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.
Trooper LaVelle gave the Illinois State Police 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois, 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
Leo James LaVelle served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Trooper Leo James LaVelle 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Illinois State Police, 49 of 67 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 73.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Leo James LaVelle's cause is highlighted.
How Leo James LaVelle Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Leo James LaVelle is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
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