Harry Clemmons Elmore
Agency patch
Patrolman

Harry Clemmons Elmore

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN
Illness
End of Watch July 28, 1926
Age 49
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 51 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Harry Elmore suffered a fatal stroke while pursuing suspected rum runners along Jones Avenue at about 11:30 pm.

He and his partner attempted to stop the vehicle on Breedlove Street for driving without headlights. The vehicle fled onto Chelsea Avenue and then north on Jones Avenue. They pursued the car outside of the city limits when Patrolman Elmore suddenly slumped over the steering wheel as they approached the Wolf River Bridge (approximately 500 feet west of the modern-day I-40 bridge). Their vehicle left the roadway and went down a 25-foot embankment.

Patrolman Elmore was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Patrolman Elmore had served with the Memphis Police Department for at least six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, and siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-7BE2569B
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.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Harry. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Elmore gave the Memphis Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Elmore.

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

Agency

Location Memphis, TN
Platform Identity mpd.shelby.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 28, 1926
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Duty related illness
Weapon Person

Patrolman Harry Clemmons Elmore is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TN, 43 of 769 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Memphis Police Department, 16 of 94 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 17% of this agency's fallen.

Memphis Police Department
16
of 94 officers
17% Illness
TN — Statewide
43
of 769 officers
5.6% Illness
Nationwide
2,974
of 32,508 officers
9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Harry Clemmons Elmore'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 Harry Clemmons Elmore Compares

Age at End of Watch
49
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
6
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Harry Clemmons Elmore is highlighted in Jul.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
185
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
181
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
291
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location