Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer J.D. Tippit was shot and killed while questioning the assassin of President John F. Kennedy at Tenth and Patton Streets. At approximately 1:14 pm, 45 minutes after President Kennedy was shot, Officer Tippit stopped the suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald, who was on foot and fit the general description of the assassin that was being broadcast by the Dallas police radio. After being summoned by Officer Tippit, Oswald came over to the passenger side of the patrol car, where they spoke through an open window. After a brief conversation, Officer Tippit got out of his car, and as he was walking toward the front of his patrol car, Oswald suddenly shot him three times at point-blank range with a .38 caliber revolver. After Officer Tippit fell, he was shot in the head by Oswald, which proved to be the fatal shot. A citizen who witnessed the shooting used the police radio in Officer Tippit's patrol car to alert other officers of the shooting. Oswald was apprehended hiding in a movie theater after he was seen by an alert citizen who witnessed the shooting of Officer Tippit. Oswald was shot and killed two days later by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby while in police custody. Officer Tippit was a United States Army WWII veteran and bronze star recipient and served with the Dallas Police Department for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, parents, four brothers, two sisters, and his grandmother. In January 1964, Officer Tippit was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor from the National Police Hall of Fame and also received the Police Medal of Honor, the Police Cross, and the Citizen's Traffic Commission Award of Heroism. He is buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, parents, four brothers, two sisters, and his grandmother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-D56BD81D- 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.
Officer Tippit gave the Dallas Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
J. D. Tippit served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Officer J. D. Tippit 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%.
At Dallas Police Department, 55 of 95 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. J. D. Tippit's cause is highlighted.
How J. D. Tippit Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. J. D. Tippit is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. J. D. Tippit was killed by handgun; .38 caliber.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
94 officers from Dallas Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
