James Garfield Britton

Sioux City Police Department — Sioux City, IA

Felonious

End of Watch July 22, 1919

Age 39

The Vigil Panel 37 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Detective James Britton was shot and killed when he and three other officers went at 3:30 p.m. to arrest a group of outlaws. When the officers entered the address at W. Third and Ross Street, the suspects opened fire -- fatally wounding Detective Britton. Detective Britton was able to return fire and kill one of the suspects and wound a second. The third suspect was also shot and wounded by another officer. One suspect, sentenced to life, escaped from Fort Madison Penitentiary in 1921. In 1929 he was recaptured in Vancouver, British Columbia, and returned to Iowa. He was paroled on Oct. 18, 1943. Detective Britton was buried at Graceland Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-136E9A84
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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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Detectives Britton served with the Sioux City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Sioux City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Detectives Britton.

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

Agency

Department Sioux City Police Department

Location Sioux City, IA

Platform Identity spd.woodbury.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 22, 1919

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Chief of Detectives James Garfield Britton 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 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 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Sioux City Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Sioux City Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Felonious

IA — Statewide

129

of 226 officers

57.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious