Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Alfred J. Descher

Columbia Police Department — Columbia, IL

Accident

End of Watch February 17, 1964

Age 64

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 2

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sergeant Alfred Descher was struck and killed by a semitrailer at the scene of an accident on Illinois Route 3, approximately one mile south of the Columbia city limits at about 3:10 am. He had responded to the accident, checked for injuries, and then waited for the Illinois State Police who were responding to the accident. As Sergeant Descher spoke with one of the responding officers, a semitrailer traveling on the road jack-knifed, and struck both Sergeant Descher and the Illinois State Police squad car. Sergeant Descher was killed instantly and the state police officer suffered minor injuries. No charges were filed against the driver of the truck. Sergeant Descher had served with the Columbia Police Department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four daughters, and three sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-2DC0AAC4
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 Descher gave the Columbia Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Descher.

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

Agency

Department Columbia Police Department

Location Columbia, IL

Platform Identity cpd.monroe.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 17, 1964

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 64

Badge Number 2

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Sergeant Alfred J. Descher 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 IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

Columbia Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

IL — Statewide

354

of 1,318 officers

26.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Alfred J. Descher's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Alfred J. Descher Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service