Richard Ervin Leyden

Lincoln Police Department — Lincoln, NE

Accident Veteran

End of Watch September 26, 1949

Age 23

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 9 mo

The Vigil Panel 85 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Police Officer Richard Leyden was killed in a motorcycle crash while attempting to stop a speeding car. Another car turned in front of him on 16th Street between G Street and H Street, causing a collision. Officer Leyden was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries two hours later. Officer Leyden was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Lincoln Police Department for less than two years. He is survived by his parents, sister, two brothers, and his fiance. He was to be married the Sunday following the crash.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents, sister, two brothers, and his fiance.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NE-B75FBE35
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Leyden gave the Lincoln Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Lincoln community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Lincoln Police Department

Location Lincoln, NE

Platform Identity lpd.lancaster.ne.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 26, 1949

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 9 mo

Age 23

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Richard Ervin Leyden served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Richard Ervin Leyden 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 NE, 36 of 151 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.2 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Lincoln Police Department, 3 of 8 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.5% of this agency's fallen.

Lincoln Police Department

of 8 officers

37.5% Accident

NE — Statewide

of 151 officers

23.8% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident