Ricky Allen LaFollette
Agency patch
Patrolman

Ricky Allen LaFollette

Louisville Police Department — Louisville, KY
Accident
End of Watch August 18, 1983
Age 30
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 127 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Ricky LaFollette drowned in a scuba diving accident on the Tennessee side of Dale Hollow Lake while on a training dive with his department. During the dive, Patrolman LaFollette was involved in an underwater accident.

Survivors

Patrolman LaFollette served with the Louisville Police Department for six years and was survived by his son, and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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.
Patrolman LaFollette gave the Louisville Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Louisville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman LaFollette.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Louisville, Jefferson County, KY
Platform Identity lpd.jefferson.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 18, 1983
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 30
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Ricky is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1983, 74 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 36th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ricky was 30. 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. Ricky had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 9.5% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Louisville Police Department has 91 officers remembered here, Ricky among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman Ricky Allen LaFollette

Louisville Police Department · End of Watch August 18, 1983

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 9-E

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