Leroy E. Cowles
Agency patch
Police Officer

Leroy E. Cowles

Tulsa Police Department — Tulsa, OK
Accident
End of Watch September 8, 1961
The Vigil Panel 96 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Cowles was killed in a motorcycle accident while chasing a speeding motorist. Another vehicle pulled out in front of him at 15th Street and Denver Avenue.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-DCE88C7F
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.
Police Officer Cowles served with the Tulsa Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Tulsa community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Cowles.

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

Agency

Location Tulsa, OK
Platform Identity tpd.tulsa.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 8, 1961
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Not available
Offender Not available

Police Officer Leroy E. Cowles 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 OK, 135 of 582 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.2% of this state's fallen. That is 7.8 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Tulsa Police Department, 11 of 42 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.2% of this agency's fallen.

Tulsa Police Department
11
of 42 officers
26.2% Accident
OK — Statewide
135
of 582 officers
23.2% 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. Leroy E. Cowles'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 Leroy E. Cowles Compares

Offender Outcome

Not available

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Leroy E. Cowles is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897