James Adrian Wouters

Fort Pierce Police Department — Fort Pierce, FL

Felonious

End of Watch January 13, 1987

Age 33

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Badge 524

The Vigil Panel 131 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Sergeant James Wouters and Lieutenant Cooper were shot and killed while participating in a drug raid at a mobile home at Midway and Christianson Roads in White City. At 9:40 pm, Sergeant Wouters, Lieutenant Cooper, and a third officer entered the front of the home, identifying themselves as police officers. Once inside, there was a barrage of gunfire. The other officers on the scene called for backup and went to the house's perimeter. K9s entered the home, and two officers entered after them to retrieve the fallen officers. One of the suspects fled during the gunfire and was never charged. The shooter was shot and killed during the gunfire. The third suspect confessed to the drug deal but received 20 years in prison for both murder charges and 15 years for drug charges to be served concurrently. Sergeant Wouters was transferred to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and underwent surgery but succumbed to his injuries the following afternoon. Lieutenant Cooper died before midnight. The third officer was wounded but survived. He was survived by his wife, who was working 911 dispatch when the call came in, and a daughter. Sergeant Wouters was posthumously promoted. On January 12, 2012, exactly twenty-five years after Lieutenant Grover C. Cooper III and Sergeant James A. Wouters were slain, the Fort Pierce Police Department Main Station was dedicated in their honor and officially renamed the Grover C. Cooper III, James A. Wouters Main Police Station.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, who was working 911 dispatch when the call came in, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-3920E801
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.
Sergeant Wouters gave the Fort Pierce Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Pierce community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Wouters.

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

Agency

Department Fort Pierce Police Department

Location Fort Pierce, FL

Platform Identity fppd.stlucie.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 13, 1987

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 33

Badge Number 524

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed, 20 years

Sergeant James Adrian Wouters 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Fort Pierce Police Department, 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Fort Pierce Police Department

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious