James E. Shoemaker

Montgomery County Police Department — Gaithersburg, MD

Cardiac

End of Watch February 4, 1938

Age 49

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

The Vigil Panel 74 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 20

Incident

Patrolman James Shoemaker suffered a fatal heart attack when he was kicked during a struggle with a woman at a dance hall on Conduit Road in Glen Echo. He had attempted to eject the woman from a beer hall when she became combative. The woman was charged with manslaughter. Patrolman Shoemaker had served with the Montgomery County Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-63002559
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.
Patrolman Shoemaker gave the Montgomery County Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gaithersburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Shoemaker.

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

Agency

Department Montgomery County Police Department

Location Gaithersburg, MD

Platform Identity mcpd.montgomery.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 4, 1938

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 49

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Weapon Person

Offender Charged with manslaughter

Patrolman James E. Shoemaker is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 22 of 377 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.8 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Montgomery County Police Department, 1 of 21 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.8% of this agency's fallen.

Montgomery County Police Department

of 21 officers

4.8% Cardiac

MD — Statewide

of 377 officers

5.8% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac