Incident
Officer Bobby James was killed when his cruiser was forced off of the road while chasing the suspect who had just shot and killed Officer Ben Gerhart. Officer Gerhart had stopped the suspect after observing the man and a woman throwing bottles from their car. He placed the suspect in his cruiser and returned to the vehicle to talk to the woman. The man suddenly ran back to the car and retrieved a handgun from under the seat and opened fire as Officer Gerhart drew his weapon. The suspect then stole Officer Gerhart's weapon and fled the scene. Several officers began chasing the suspect after locating the vehicle. During the pursuit, the suspect fired at the officers before forcing Officer James' cruiser off the road on Beaumont Highway near Talcott Lane. The suspect fled on foot but was shot and killed in an ensuing shootout.
Survivors
Officer James served with the Houston Police Department for 17 years and was survived by his wife, mother, three daughters, and two sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- 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 James gave the Houston Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer James.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Felonious
Houston Police Department has lost 117 officers; 84 of them killed feloniously.
Bobby is one of 1,461 officers killed feloniously in TX, 60.3% of the 2,422 remembered there.
Bobby is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Bobby is one of 17,631 officers killed feloniously worldwide, 52% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1968, 2 officers at Houston Police Department were killed feloniously, the 6th heaviest of 60 years on record. The heaviest was 1917, with 5.
In 1968, 6 officers in TX were killed feloniously, the 102nd heaviest of 180 years on record. The heaviest was 1928, with 19.
In 1968, 91 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 62nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.
In 1968, 91 officers worldwide were killed feloniously, the 73rd heaviest of 265 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 516.
Who
Bobby was 38. Of the 82 killed feloniously at Houston Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 40; the middle age was 34. Bobby had served 17 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Bobby was 38. Of the 1,330 killed feloniously in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 37. Bobby had served 17 years; the middle length of service was 4 years.
Bobby was 38. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Bobby had served 17 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Bobby was 38. Of the 15,854 killed feloniously worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 30 and 46; the middle age was 38. Bobby had served 17 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
June holds 16.7% of these deaths at Houston Police Department, more than any other month. Wednesdays: 21.4%.
June holds 10.3% of these deaths in TX; December holds the most, 10.4%. Wednesdays: 13.1%.
June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.
June holds 8.2% of these deaths worldwide; December holds the most, 9.2%. Wednesdays: 13.2%.
How
Felonious deaths account for 71.8% of all 117 deaths at Houston Police Department, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 9.5% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 60.3% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.3% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.
Felonious deaths account for 52% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.4% of these deaths.
His people
Houston Police Department has 117 officers remembered here, Bobby 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 34-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
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