Lucius J. Rice
Agency patch
Detective Sergeant

Lucius J. Rice

Dayton Police Department — Dayton, OH
Felonious
End of Watch October 5, 1939
Age 63
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Badge 57
The Vigil Panel 76 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Sergeant Lucius Rice was shot and killed when he and two other officers went to an apartment building at 531 College Street to arrest a murder suspect. Sergeant Rice and the other two officers searched the apartment, found the suspect hiding in a closet, and ordered him to come out. The man came out of the closet firing a gun, striking Sergeant Rice and another officer. Sergeant Rice succumbed to his injuries five days later. The man was convicted of Sergeant Rice's murder and executed on October 23rd, 1940. Sergeant Rice had served with the Dayton Police Department for 30 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

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

30 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Sergeant Rice gave the Dayton Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Dayton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sergeant Rice.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Dayton, Montgomery County, OH
Platform Identity dpd.montgomery.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 5, 1939
Tour of Duty 30 yrs
Age 63
Badge Number 57
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Lucius is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% 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
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1939, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 79th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Lucius was 63. 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. Lucius had served 30 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Dayton Police Department has 31 officers remembered here, Lucius among them.

VI

Where

Detective Sergeant Lucius J. Rice

Dayton Police Department · End of Watch October 5, 1939

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 29-W

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