Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable James Nelms was shot and killed when he responded to a report of two drunk men fighting at a saloon.
When he attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed. The offender fled but was located soon after and killed by a responding law enforcement officer.
Constable Nelms, who served as Navarro County Sheriff from 1870-1872 before joining the Grayson County Constables' Office, was survived by his wife and four children.
Survivors
Constable Nelms, who served as Navarro County Sheriff from 1870-1872 before joining the Grayson County Constables' Office, was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-366040A0- 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
147 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Nelms gave the Grayson County Constable's Office 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Denison community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable James A. Nelms is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James A. Nelms's cause is highlighted.
How James A. Nelms Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James A. Nelms is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.