Incident
Patrolman Hawthorne was killed in an automobile accident while responding to a three-alarm fire at St. Martin's School. During the response his patrol vehicle collided with a truck at the intersection of Shelby and Jefferson Streets and burst into flames. He was trapped inside of the vehicle and received fatal burns.
Survivors
Patrolman Hawthorne had served with the Louisville Police Department for five years and was survived by his wife.
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.
Patrolman Hawthorne gave the Louisville Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Louisville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hawthorne.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Louisville Police Department has lost 91 officers; 34 of them lost to accidents.
John is one of 161 officers lost to accidents in KY, 16.4% of the 984 remembered there.
John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
John is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1947, 1 officer at Louisville Police Department was lost to accidents, the 4th heaviest of 29 years on record. The heaviest was 1937, with 4.
In 1947, 2 officers in KY were lost to accidents, the 12th heaviest of 95 years on record. The heaviest was 1937, with 7.
In 1947, 53 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 88th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1947, 60 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 91st heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
John was 34. Of the 33 lost to accidents at Louisville Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 35. John had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 34. Of the 150 lost to accidents in KY whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 49.8; the middle age was 39. John had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 34. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. John had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
John was 34. Of the 9,451 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. John had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
January holds 17.6% of these deaths at Louisville Police Department, more than any other month. Wednesdays: 17.6%.
January holds 9.3% of these deaths in KY; April holds the most, 13.7%. Wednesdays: 12.4%.
January holds 7.7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.
January holds 8.1% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Wednesdays: 14.5%.
How
Accident deaths account for 37.4% of all 91 deaths at Louisville Police Department, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 16.4% of all 984 deaths in KY, 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 29.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Louisville Police Department has 91 officers remembered here, John among them.
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George Coulter Aug 17, 1858
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Benjamin S. Rust Jan 15, 1862
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Edward Bond Sep 4, 1864
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Thomas J. McFadden Dec 29, 1865
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John O'Connell Jul 1, 1869
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Martin Roth Oct 29, 1877
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Edward B. Harding Dec 6, 1885
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Joseph Boyle
Oct 7, 1887
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James W. Jones
Aug 16, 1888
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Joseph Rosenberg
Aug 16, 1888
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George E. Roberts
Jul 7, 1890
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Birch Puff Nov 29, 1890
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Edward Byrnes Jul 4, 1895
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John T. O'Brien Nov 5, 1897
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Joseph J. Heffernan
Aug 14, 1898
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John Horan Nov 15, 1900
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Fred J. Richterkessing Apr 1, 1901
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James H. Purdon
Jul 27, 1901
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John Dolan
Dec 20, 1904
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Theodore C. Bossung
Nov 25, 1907
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Simon R. Cannon Dec 13, 1907
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Gustave Rosenberg
Apr 11, 1909
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William Murphy
Nov 19, 1909
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Frank Weber
May 23, 1910
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William T. Sube Jun 5, 1910
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Michael J. Baldwin
Aug 11, 1911
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Edward J. Stephens Sep 6, 1912
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Harvey Dennis Hand Sep 11, 1914
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John George Fow
Feb 18, 1917
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Thomas J. Fitzgibbons
Apr 10, 1918
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Ernest H. Thornhill
Nov 30, 1918
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Thomas Martin Giltner
Jun 2, 1919
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John G. Tyler Aug 3, 1920
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James E. Elder Sep 1, 1921
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George Griffths Pfeiffer
Jul 18, 1923
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Charles Oglesby Daily
Sep 12, 1923
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Ralph L. Croxton
Apr 1, 1924
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James Milton England Sep 1, 1926
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Walter Vance
Aug 25, 1927
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Lawrence J. Mialback
Oct 4, 1927
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Frank H. Wilke
Mar 25, 1928
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Thomas D. McNichols May 5, 1928
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Robert Emmett McGalin
Aug 25, 1929
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William Freeman Newcome Sep 14, 1929
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John Gruber Jan 27, 1930
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Harold D. Boyer
Jan 31, 1931
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Basil Duke Offutt
Jan 31, 1931
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William Leath Mulligan
Apr 12, 1932
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Edward Earl Parr
Apr 12, 1932
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William D. Woods Nov 25, 1933
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Saxton Helm Dutschke Apr 8, 1934
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Clarence Quinton Evans
Apr 9, 1934
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Eugene M. Hagan Sep 28, 1934
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John Wesley Carpenter Apr 29, 1935
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John Holzknecht Jan 13, 1937
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Lawrence W. Claycomb
Jan 28, 1937
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Willis Arthur Coy
Feb 11, 1937
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Frederick Strother Barton
Aug 3, 1937
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Walter Davis Mazzie, Jr.
Jan 5, 1939
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Louis F. Fowler
Dec 11, 1939
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William Kelly Burge
Sep 25, 1940
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William Thomas Kinney
Feb 10, 1942
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James Leslie Hedgepeth
Feb 12, 1942
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William Preston Bryant
Aug 18, 1943
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Auldon LeGrande
Dec 10, 1946
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John Harlan Hawthorne
Jan 22, 1947
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Andrew Miller
May 8, 1948
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John Harold Tennyson
Aug 14, 1949
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John Arthur Lawson
Oct 4, 1950
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John Patrick Minogue
Oct 5, 1952
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Edward P. Nowakowski
Jul 10, 1957
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William Lawrence Long, Sr.
Oct 4, 1958
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Orville Chancy Trinkle, Jr.
Mar 29, 1960
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Cosby Harris Whitted, Jr.
Aug 23, 1963
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James Francis Sansbury
Feb 21, 1965
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William Frederick Meyer
Sep 1, 1967
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Joseph Lloyd Price
Nov 29, 1967
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Donald W. Gaskin
Dec 30, 1969
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James Riley Ratliff
Dec 30, 1969
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Wilbur Hayes
May 2, 1971
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John W. Schaefer, Jr.
May 2, 1971
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Raymond Stetson Oyler, Jr.
May 8, 1971
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Tommy Ray
Apr 20, 1973
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Jonah Darrell Cox
Feb 23, 1974
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Gwendolyn Ann Downs
May 16, 1977
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Albert Berry Sallee, Jr.
May 12, 1979
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James Morgan, Sr.
May 14, 1979
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Ronnie Earl Seelye
Jan 27, 1981
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Ricky Allen LaFollette
Aug 18, 1983
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Alton P. Embry, Jr.
May 7, 1988
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Bobby W. Branham
May 14, 2013
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 6-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
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