Roll of Honor
James C. Goforth
Incident
Special Officer James Goforth was struck and killed by a train near Harrison Pike in Chattanooga, Tennessee, while patrolling the railyards.
He inadvertently stepped into the path of a freight train as he stepped off of another set of tracks to avoid an approaching passenger train.
Officer Goforth had served with the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Police for one month had previously served with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for several years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, father, and seven siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-RR-DB322C64- 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.
Special Officer Goforth gave the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Police 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Officer Goforth.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Officer James C. Goforth 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Police, 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. James C. Goforth's cause is highlighted.
How James C. Goforth Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James C. Goforth is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Police are honored on badge.nw.
