Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Arthur Gelhar succumbed to injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Connecticut Avenue, NW, while responding to a homicide. He and his partner were responding in an emergency car and were following a motorcycle officer who had lights and sirens activated. A vehicle that yielded to the motorcycle pulled in front of the car at the entrance to the National Zoo, causing a collision. Officer Gelhar sustained major head injuries and died the next day. Officer Gelhar had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for over nine years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-DC-DE755C60- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Gelhar gave the Metropolitan Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Gelhar.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Arthur H. Gelhar is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 32 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Metropolitan Police Department, 48 of 131 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 36.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Arthur H. Gelhar's cause is highlighted.
How Arthur H. Gelhar Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Arthur H. Gelhar is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
130 officers from Metropolitan Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
