John James Arthur Cobain

Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office — Montesano, WA

Accident

End of Watch September 8, 1938

Age 49

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

The Vigil Panel 75 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Deputy John Cobain was accidentally shot and killed when his service weapon fell from his hip holster as he reached for a cigarette. When the gun struck the floor it discharged, striking him in the hip and traveling through his vital organs. Not realizing he had been shot, Deputy Cobain reached down to retrieve the gun, and asked if anyone had been hit. He then collapsed and succumbed to his wound. Deputy Cobain was survived by his four sons, daughter, mother, three brothers, and three sisters. He was preceded in death by one son.

Survivors

Deputy Cobain was survived by his four sons, daughter, mother, three brothers, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WA-B8E49D41
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.
Deputy Sheriff Cobain gave the Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Montesano community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Cobain.

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

Agency

Department Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office

Location Montesano, WA

Platform Identity ghcso.graysharbor.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 8, 1938

Tour of Duty 15 yrs

Age 49

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon fell from his hip holster as he reached for a cigarette.

Deputy Sheriff John James Arthur Cobain 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%.

At Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.

Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office

of 6 officers

16.7% Accident

WA — Statewide

111

of 339 officers

32.7% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident