Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff James Slater was killed in an automobile crash while en route to back up a fellow officer who was following a stolen vehicle at 2:27 a.m.
A citizen called 911 and reported a patrol vehicle in the ditch and the deputy unconscious on Sout Grove Road. It is believed that Deputy Slater started sliding on a corner and overcorrected, causing him to hit a utility pole that flipped the patrol car four times.
Deputy Slater was flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 10:30 p.m.
Deputy Slater was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Spokane County Sheriff's Department for 2.5 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-E2B61F08- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Slater gave the Spokane County Sheriff's Office 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Spokane community. Thank you 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
James Joseph Slater served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff James Joseph Slater 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 Spokane County Sheriff's Dept., 3 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Joseph Slater's cause is highlighted.
How James Joseph Slater Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. James Joseph Slater is highlighted in Aug.
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Spokane County Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
