Incident
Officer Gambill suffered a fatal heart attack following a violent struggle with a suspect. He and his partner had just arrested the man for threatening to murder his wife and were transporting the man to jail. The suspect attempted to grab Officer Gambill's service weapon while the officers drove on Calhoun Street and a struggle ensued. Officer Gambill's partner had to shoot the suspect five times before the man released his grip on Officer Gambill. Officer Gambill took two steps into the street and collapsed. Officer Gambill had served with the Houston Police Department for 14 years.
In Our Keeping
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- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Gambill gave the Houston Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Gambill.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Cardiac
Houston Police Department has lost 117 officers; 2 of them lost to cardiac events.
James is one of 88 officers lost to cardiac events in TX, 3.6% of the 2,422 remembered there.
James is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.
James is one of 1,309 officers lost to cardiac events worldwide, 3.9% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1936, 1 officer in TX was lost to cardiac events, the 24th heaviest of 53 years on record. The heaviest was 1978, with 4.
In 1936, 9 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 68th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
In 1936, 9 officers worldwide were lost to cardiac events, the 69th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
Who
James was 48. Of the 84 lost to cardiac events in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 42.8 and 57; the middle age was 50. James had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
James was 48. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. James had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
James was 48. Of the 1,251 lost to cardiac events worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 42.5 and 55; the middle age was 48. James had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
When
December holds 12.5% of these deaths in TX; October holds the most, 12.5%. Tuesdays: 13.6%.
December holds 8.5% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Tuesdays: 13.9%.
December holds 8.5% of these deaths worldwide; January holds the most, 9.5%. Tuesdays: 13.9%.
How
Cardiac deaths account for 1.7% of all 117 deaths at Houston Police Department, the 3rd most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 3.6% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 3.9% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 4th most common cause.
His people
Houston Police Department has 117 officers remembered here, James among them.
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C. Edward Foley Mar 10, 1860
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Richard T. Snow Mar 18, 1883
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Henry Williams Feb 8, 1886
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James E. Fenn Mar 15, 1891
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William A. Weiss
Jul 30, 1901
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John C. James
Dec 11, 1901
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Herman Youngst
Dec 11, 1901
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William E. Murphy
Apr 1, 1910
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John Morris Cain
Aug 4, 1911
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Joseph Robert Free
Oct 18, 1912
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Isaac Parsons May 24, 1914
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Rufus H. Daniels
Aug 23, 1917
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Edwin Gustav Meinecke
Aug 23, 1917
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Horace Clifton Moody
Aug 23, 1917
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Ira D. Raney
Aug 23, 1917
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Daniel Ross Patton Sep 8, 1917
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John Davidson
Feb 19, 1921
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Jeter Young
Jun 19, 1921
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David Duncan Murdock
Jun 28, 1921
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John Clark Etheridge
Aug 23, 1924
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Pete Corrales
Jan 21, 1925
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Perry Page Jones
Jan 30, 1927
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Rodney Quinn Wells Jul 30, 1927
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Albert Worth Davis
Jun 17, 1928
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Oscar Emmett Hope
Jun 22, 1929
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Ed Jones Sep 13, 1929
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C. F. Thomas Dec 17, 1929
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Edward Davis Fitzgerald
Sep 20, 1930
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William Bonner Phares
Sep 30, 1930
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Joseph Duas Landry
Dec 3, 1930
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Harry Talcott Mereness
Oct 18, 1933
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Rempsey H. Sullivan
Mar 9, 1935
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James Thomas Gambill Dec 1, 1936
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Adolph Peter Martial
Nov 8, 1937
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Marion Edward Palmer, Sr.
Mar 24, 1938
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George Dewey Edwards
Jun 30, 1939
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Howard Bee Hammond
Aug 18, 1946
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Smith Anderson Kent, Jr.
Jan 12, 1954
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Fred Maddox, Jr.
Feb 24, 1954
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Jack Bill Beets
Apr 30, 1955
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Charles Raphael Gougenheim
Apr 30, 1955
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Frank Leslie Kellogg
Nov 30, 1955
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Robert J. Schultea
Aug 25, 1956
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Noel Ray Miller
Jun 6, 1958
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Claude Emmett Branon, Sr.
Mar 20, 1959
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John Wesley Suttle
Aug 23, 1959
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Gonzalo Q. Gonzalez
Feb 28, 1960
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James Thomas Walker
Mar 8, 1963
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Charles Raymond McDaniel
Aug 4, 1963
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James Franklin Willis
Jul 1, 1964
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Herbert N. Planer
Feb 18, 1965
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Floyd Taylor DeLoach, Jr.
Jun 30, 1965
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Louis Lyndon Sander
Jan 21, 1967
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Louis Raymond Kuba
May 17, 1967
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Ben Eddie Gerhart
Jun 26, 1968
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Bobby Lee James
Jun 26, 1968
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Kennith W. Moody
Nov 26, 1969
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Leon Griggs
Jan 31, 1970
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Robert Wayne Lee
Jan 31, 1971
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Claude Ronald Beck
Dec 10, 1971
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David Franklin Noel
Jun 17, 1972
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Jerry Leon Spruill
Oct 26, 1972
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Antonio Guzman, Jr.
Jan 9, 1973
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David Huerta
Sep 19, 1973
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Jerry Lawrence Riley
Jun 18, 1974
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John Terrell Bamsch
Jan 30, 1975
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Francis Eddie Wright
Aug 2, 1975
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Richard Howard Calhoun
Oct 10, 1975
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George Garza Rojas
Jan 28, 1976
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James Fredrick Kilty
Apr 8, 1976
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Timothy Lowe Hearn
Jun 8, 1978
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Victor Ray Wells, III
Oct 2, 1980
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Joseph Adolph Zamarron
Apr 18, 1981
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William Edwin DeLeon
Mar 29, 1982
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Winston James Rawlins
Mar 29, 1982
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Daryl Wayne Shirley
Apr 28, 1982
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James Donald Harris
Jul 13, 1982
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Kathleen Schaefer
Aug 18, 1982
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Charles Robert Coates, II
Feb 23, 1983
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Maria Michelle Groves
Apr 10, 1987
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Andrew Winzer
Feb 18, 1988
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Elston Morris Howard
Jul 20, 1988
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Florentino Munoz Garcia, Jr.
Nov 10, 1989
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James Charles Boswell
Dec 9, 1989
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James Bruce Irby
Jun 27, 1990
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John Anthony Salvaggio
Nov 25, 1990
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Bruno David Soboleski
Apr 12, 1991
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Michael Paul Roman
Jan 6, 1994
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Guy Patrick Gaddis
Jan 31, 1994
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David Michael Healy
Nov 12, 1994
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Dawn Suzanne Erickson
Dec 24, 1995
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Cuong Huy Trinh
Apr 6, 1997
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Kent Dean Kincaid
May 23, 1998
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Troy Alan Blando
May 19, 1999
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Jerry Keith Stowe
Sep 20, 2000
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Dennis E. Holmes
Jan 10, 2001
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Alberto Vasquez
May 22, 2001
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Keith Alan Dees
Mar 7, 2002
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Charles Roy Clark
Apr 3, 2003
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Frank Manuel Cantu, Jr.
Mar 25, 2004
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Reuben Becerra DeLeon, Jr.
Oct 26, 2005
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Rodney Joseph Johnson
Sep 21, 2006
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Gary Allen Gryder
Jun 29, 2008
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Timothy Scott Abernethy
Dec 7, 2008
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Henry Canales
Jun 23, 2009
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Eydelmen Mani
May 19, 2010
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Kevin Scott Will
May 29, 2011
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Richard K. Martin
May 18, 2015
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Steve Albert Perez
Aug 27, 2017
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Christopher Charles Lewis Brewster
Dec 7, 2019
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Jason Michael Knox
May 2, 2020
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Harold Lloyd Preston
Oct 20, 2020
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Sean Sebastian Rios
Nov 9, 2020
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Ernest Leal, Jr.
Nov 27, 2020
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William John Jeffrey
Sep 20, 2021
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John David Wilbanks
Oct 13, 2021
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Alex D. Roberts
Sep 17, 2025
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 2-E
Others Who Wore This Badge
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