Eugene S. Jennings
Agency patch
Officer

Eugene S. Jennings

Pomeroy Police Department — Pomeroy, WA
Accident
End of Watch September 27, 1968
The Vigil Panel 104 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Jennings and Deputy Lee Birdsdell, of the Garfield County Sheriff's Department, were killed during a vehicle pursuit west of Clarkston. During the chase the suspect failed to negotiate a curve and the vehicle ran up an embankment. As the two patrol cars came around the corner the vehicle came off of the embankment and landed on top of Officer Jennings' patrol car. Deputy Birdsell's patrol car then crashed into the back of Officer Jennings patrol car. Deputy Birdsell was killed instantly and Officer Jennings succumbed to his injuries the following day.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-66585AB5
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.
Officer Jennings served with the Pomeroy Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Pomeroy community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Jennings.

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

Agency

Location Pomeroy, WA
Platform Identity ppd.garfield.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 27, 1968
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Automobile
Offender Not available

Officer Eugene S. Jennings 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 WA, 111 of 339 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.7% of this state's fallen. That is 1.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

Pomeroy Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Accident
WA — Statewide
111
of 339 officers
32.7% 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. Eugene S. Jennings'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 Eugene S. Jennings Compares

Offender Outcome

Not available

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Eugene S. Jennings 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