Steven Tabor Howard
Agency patch
Captain

Steven Tabor Howard

Des Moines Police Department — Des Moines, IA
Felonious
End of Watch March 2, 1935
Age 68
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Badge CAPTAIN
The Vigil Panel 69 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Captain Steven Howard succumbed to a gunshot received the previous day while responding to a robbery at a local bar.

After an intensive investigation two suspects were identified. During the arrest one of the suspects was shot and killed. The other, who was a juvenile, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Captain Howard had served with the Des Moines Police Department for 27 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-34FE880B
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

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

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Des Moines, Polk County, IA
Platform Identity dmpd.polk.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 2, 1935
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 68
Badge Number CAPTAIN
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Captain Steven Tabor Howard is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 57.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Des Moines Police Department, 16 of 27 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this agency's fallen.

Des Moines Police Department
16
of 27 officers
59.3% Felonious
IA — Statewide
129
of 226 officers
57.1% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Steven Tabor Howard's cause is highlighted.

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

How Steven Tabor Howard Compares

Age at Death
68
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
27
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Steven Tabor Howard is highlighted in Mar.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Steven Tabor Howard was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909