Roll of Honor
Incident
Policeman James Kent succumbed to an accidental gunshot wound sustained while attempting to remove his pistol from its holster.
He had received reports of a vicious dog at the corner of Fourth Street and Court Street and had gone to the location to locate it. Upon arriving at the corner he attempted to remove his pistol to shoot the dog but the trigger caught on his clothing and it discharged. The round struck him in the leg, causing a serious injury.
Policeman Kent was transported to the local hospital where he remained until succumbing to the wound.
Policeman Kent had served with the Ottumwa Police Department for three years and was the acting desk sergeant the night of the shooting.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-21557447- 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.
Policeman Kent gave the Ottumwa Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ottumwa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Kent.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Policeman James Lawrence Kent is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Ottumwa Police Department, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Lawrence Kent's cause is highlighted.
How James Lawrence Kent Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Lawrence Kent is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Ottumwa Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
