Jerry Lawrence Riley
Agency patch
Police Officer

Jerry Lawrence Riley

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX
Accident
End of Watch June 18, 1974
Age 24
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Badge 1516
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Jerry Riley succumbed to injuries sustained several days earlier when his patrol car collided with a tractor-trailer. He was responding to an emergency call when the semi pulled out in front of him on Galveston Road, near Park Terrace. Officer Riley had served with the Houston Police Department for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, and sister.

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.
Police Officer Riley gave the Houston Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Riley.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Houston, Harris County, TX
Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 18, 1974
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 24
Badge Number 1516
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Jerry is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 1974, 98 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 9th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Jerry was 24. 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. Jerry had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 14.1%.

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

Houston Police Department has 117 officers remembered here, Jerry among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Jerry Lawrence Riley

Houston Police Department · End of Watch June 18, 1974

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 10-E

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