Lief Ben Overdahl

Tacoma Police Department — Tacoma, WA

Cardiac

End of Watch January 22, 1957

Age 57

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 92 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 11

Incident

Sergeant Lief Overdahl suffered a fatal heart attack after a struggle with an intoxicated man he had just arrested. Sergeant Overdahl was off duty and eating in a restaurant when an employee asked him to help with the intoxicated man who was causing a disturbance. After arresting the man, Sergeant Overdahl led him to a call box at 11th and South K Street where a struggle ensued. Sergeant Overdahl collapsed during the struggle. Sergeant Overdahl had served with the Tacoma Police Department for 27 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WA-EF7305B3
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

27 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Overdahl gave the Tacoma Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Tacoma community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Overdahl.

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

Agency

Department Tacoma Police Department

Location Tacoma, WA

Platform Identity tpd.pierce.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 22, 1957

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Sergeant Lief Ben Overdahl is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In WA, 18 of 339 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.3% of this state's fallen. That is 1.3 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Tacoma Police Department, 1 of 12 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 8.3% of this agency's fallen.

Tacoma Police Department

of 12 officers

8.3% Cardiac

WA — Statewide

of 339 officers

5.3% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac