Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Donald Gregory was accidentally shot and killed when a shotgun being held by another officer accidentally discharged when it was knocked against a wall. He and the other officer had responded to a home to investigate a disturbance and aggravated assault involving a firearm. One of the first responding officers located the suspect attempting to assemble a firearm in the basement of the home. As the officer ordered the man to turn around, the officer's shotgun slammed into the wall, causing it to discharge just as Sergeant Gregory came down the stairs to assist. The blast struck Sergeant Gregory in the head, killing him. The suspect in the original case the officers were investigating was taken into custody on the original aggravated assault charge. Sergeant Gregory had served with the Missoula Police Department for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, daughter, father, and eight siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MT-CC40E575- 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 Gregory gave the Missoula Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Missoula community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Gregory.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Donald E. Gregory 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 MT, 34 of 142 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Missoula Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Donald E. Gregory's cause is highlighted.
How Donald E. Gregory Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Donald E. Gregory is highlighted in Jan.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Missoula Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
