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Incident
Patrolman Paul Harlan succumbed to injuries sustained on Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd, 1979, when he was involved in a crash at the intersection of Main Street and Murphy Boulevard during a high-speed pursuit. He was pursuing a juvenile who had been involved in an earlier hit-and-run crash when both vehicles went out of control and struck a brick wall. The juvenile fled the scene on foot but was arrested in Texas on November 29th, 1979, and extradited to Missouri. Patrolman Harlan was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on December 6th, 1979.
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- August 2, 2026
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- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Harlan served with the Joplin Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Joplin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Harlan.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Joplin Police Department has lost 21 officers; 4 of them lost to accidents.
Paul is one of 242 officers lost to accidents in MO, 29.2% of the 829 remembered there.
Paul is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Paul is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,117 remembered here.
34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1979, 2 officers in MO were lost to accidents, the 36th heaviest of 112 years on record. The heaviest was 1923, with 8.
In 1979, 70 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 48th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1979, 88 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 41st heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
When
December holds 10.3% of these deaths in MO; August holds the most, 12.8%. Thursdays: 14%.
December holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Thursdays: 14%.
December holds 8.9% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Thursdays: 14.2%.
How
Accident deaths account for 19% of all 21 deaths at Joplin Police Department, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.2% of all 829 deaths in MO, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.6% of all 34,117 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Joplin Police Department has 21 officers remembered here, Paul among them.
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Daniel Sheehan
Jul 19, 1885
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James Sweeney
Apr 23, 1901
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Bert Brannon
Apr 24, 1901
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Theodore C. Leslie
Apr 14, 1903
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John Ledbetter
Jun 10, 1903
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Claude Brice
Dec 31, 1904
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William Smith
Nov 15, 1909
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Louis S. Wells Jun 3, 1916
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William Wolsey
Dec 8, 1917
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Jessie Laster
Aug 23, 1926
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Alex Brown
Dec 18, 1928
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Alexander C. Lachman
Jun 26, 1931
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Harry L. McGinnis
Apr 13, 1933
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Kendrick Lloyd
Apr 17, 1948
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Raymond Endicott
Oct 8, 1949
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Robert M. Clifton
Dec 5, 1967
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Paul Wesley Harlan
Dec 6, 1979
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Richard W. O. Gammill
Sep 7, 1989
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Timothy Andrew Nielson
Sep 13, 2004
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Benjamin Lee Cooper
Mar 8, 2022
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Jake Alexander Reed
Mar 9, 2022
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 32-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
20 officers from Joplin Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
