Harry C. Kavanaugh

Anchorage Police Dept. — Anchorage, AK

Felonious

End of Watch January 3, 1924

Age 43

Tour of Duty 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 46 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Chief Kavanaugh was shot and killed while he and another officer were serving a warrant on a man who had been terrorizing his neighbors during a drunk rampage. As Chief Kavanaugh entered the man's cabin he saw the man standing there with a shotgun. He ran from the cabin and was approximately 100 yards away when the man fired two shots, striking him in the back. Chief Kavanaugh succumbed to his wounds approximately 16 hours later. The suspect was shot and killed by the other officer on the scene. Chief Kavanaugh had been with the agency for eight months.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AK-C37D4175
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Kavanaugh served with the Anchorage Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Anchorage community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Kavanaugh.

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

Agency

Department Anchorage Police Dept.

Location Anchorage, AK

Platform Identity apd.anchorage.ak.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 3, 1924

Tour of Duty 8 mo

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Shot and killed

Chief of Police Harry C. Kavanaugh is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In AK, 35 of 50 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this state's fallen. That is 15.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Anchorage Police Dept., 9 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 90% of this agency's fallen.

Anchorage Police Dept.

of 10 officers

90% Felonious

AK — Statewide

of 50 officers

70% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious