Roll of Honor
James Kenneth DeLoach
Incident
Location: Virginia Weapon: Handgun; .32 caliber Offender: Sentenced to 20 years
Correctional Officer James DeLoach was shot and killed when he was identified as a correctional officer after stopping to pick up a hitchhiker on the shoulder of an interstate at about 1:00 am.
He had left his shift early at the Lorton Reformatory, in Lorton, Virginia, when he began to feel ill. He was driving home on I-395 when he observed a hitchhiker near the exit for Edsall Road in Fairfax County. He was still wearing his uniform when he stopped to assist the man off the highway. The subject, who was a recent parolee, shot Officer DeLoach twice in the chest with a .32 caliber handgun and then stole his car.
Officer DeLoach was able to wave down a passing motorist but collapsed before giving a statement. He was taken to Fairfax Hospital where he died a short time later.
The man who shot him abandoned his car on Lorton Road near the prison. He was arrested in March 1968 and charged with murder. He was convicted of second-degree murder in March 1969 and sentenced to 20 years in prison with eight years suspended.
Officer DeLoach was a U.S. Army veteran of both WWII and the Korean War as well as a recipient of the Army Commendation Medal. He had served at the Lorton Reformatory for three months and had previously served as a guard for the Smithsonian Institution. He was survived by his wife, mother, and two brothers. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, mother, and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-DC-5185E4DC- Stewardship
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- 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.
Correctional Officer DeLoach served with the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of the District of Columbia. Thank you 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
James Kenneth DeLoach served in the Army (1945â1966) before joining law enforcement.
Correctional Officer James Kenneth DeLoach 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At District of Columbia Department of Corrections, 7 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Kenneth DeLoach's cause is highlighted.
How James Kenneth DeLoach Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 20 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Kenneth DeLoach is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Kenneth DeLoach was killed by handgun; .32 caliber.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from District of Columbia Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
