Incident
Sergeant John Ashley suffered a fatal heart attack while chasing a dog for a short distance.
The dog had run away from a little girl in the 1600 block of 30th Street, NW. After he collapsed, he was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he passed away 30 minutes later.
Sergeant Ashley had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for seven years and was assigned to the Second District.
The dog had run away from a little girl in the 1600 block of 30th Street, NW. After he collapsed, he was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he passed away 30 minutes later.
Survivors
He is survived by his daughter, mother, and father.
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.
Sergeant Ashley gave the Metropolitan Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Ashley.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Cardiac
Metropolitan Police Department has lost 131 officers; 5 of them lost to cardiac events.
John is one of 71 officers lost to cardiac events in DC, 5% of the 1,419 remembered there.
John is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.
John is one of 1,309 officers lost to cardiac events worldwide, 3.9% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 2004, 1 officer at Metropolitan Police Department was lost to cardiac events, more than in any other year.
In 2004, 2 officers in DC were lost to cardiac events, the 6th heaviest of 48 years on record. The heaviest was 1945, with 3.
In 2004, 16 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 24th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
In 2004, 16 officers worldwide were lost to cardiac events, the 24th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
Who
John was 37. Of the 5 lost to cardiac events at Metropolitan Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 32 and 39; the middle age was 37. John had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 7 years.
John was 37. Of the 69 lost to cardiac events in DC whose age is recorded, half were between 41 and 51; the middle age was 46. John had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
John was 37. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. John had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
John was 37. Of the 1,251 lost to cardiac events worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 42.5 and 55; the middle age was 48. John had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
When
May holds 40% of these deaths at Metropolitan Police Department, more than any other month. Sundays: 20%.
May holds 12.7% of these deaths in DC, more than any other month. Sundays: 14.1%.
May holds 8.8% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Sundays: 13.9%.
May holds 8.8% of these deaths worldwide; January holds the most, 9.5%. Sundays: 13.9%.
How
Cardiac deaths account for 3.8% of all 131 deaths at Metropolitan Police Department, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 5% of all 1,419 deaths in DC, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.
Cardiac deaths account for 3.9% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 4th most common cause.
His people
Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.
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Francis M. Doyle
Dec 29, 1871
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Robert Fleet Aug 20, 1874
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John H. Fowler Sep 9, 1884
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Americus N. Crippin Nov 5, 1889
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Adolphus C. Constantine Sep 10, 1891
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Junius B. Slack Nov 27, 1891
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Frederick M. Passau
May 17, 1899
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John J. Smith
Jul 7, 1904
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William E. Yetton
Nov 9, 1908
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William H. Mathews
Mar 5, 1909
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Eugene Calvin Smith
Jan 1, 1910
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William Charles Farquhar
Oct 22, 1913
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Willie R. Gawen Mar 2, 1915
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John A. Conrad
May 21, 1918
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David T. Dunigan
May 21, 1918
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Lester M. Kidwell
Jul 11, 1918
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Joseph Presley Marcus Barker
Oct 10, 1918
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Archie Auran
Oct 11, 1918
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John Wesley Conrad Oct 19, 1918
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John Frederick Jeffries
Oct 19, 1918
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John R. Bennett
Oct 25, 1918
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Harry Wilson
Jul 21, 1919
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Isaac B. Halbfinger
Jul 22, 1919
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James E. Armstrong
Dec 20, 1919
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Oscar A. McKimmie
Jan 17, 1920
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Preston E. Bradley
Feb 21, 1921
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Samuel C. Hayden Feb 27, 1921
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George D. Chinn
Oct 20, 1921
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Edmund P. Keleher Jan 10, 1922
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Frederick G. Stange Feb 28, 1923
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John Purcell Oct 17, 1923
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Raymond C. Leisinger
Aug 28, 1924
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Claude C. Koontz Nov 30, 1925
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Earl A. Skinner Jun 9, 1926
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Leo W. Karl Busch
Sep 28, 1926
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James G. Helm Feb 11, 1928
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Claude O. Rupe
Oct 14, 1928
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John Francis McAuliffe
Jan 21, 1929
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William S. Buchanan
Apr 18, 1929
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Harry J. McDonald Jul 22, 1929
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Edgar Preston Alexander
Nov 16, 1929
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Ross H. Kaylor
Dec 10, 1929
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Frederick W. Bauer Jun 6, 1930
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Frank J. Scoville Sep 24, 1930
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Jessie L. Taylor
May 17, 1931
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Charles D. Poole
Aug 4, 1931
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Arthur H. Gelhar
Aug 8, 1931
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Elmer A. Swanson
Jul 5, 1932
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George W. Shinault
Aug 14, 1932
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Raymond V. Sinclair
Dec 28, 1934
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Frank L. Nussbaum
Feb 16, 1936
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Paul W. Jones
Mar 14, 1936
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Ernest T. Wessells Apr 23, 1938
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Richard T. Conklin
Jun 5, 1938
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Raymond E. Grant
Aug 14, 1939
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Robert W. Davis
Jan 1, 1940
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Charles F. Cummins, Jr.
Jun 12, 1940
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Uel M. Gaile
Aug 19, 1940
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Irving Rosenburg
Feb 15, 1942
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Charles R. Johnston
May 9, 1943
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William J. Weston, Jr. Mar 4, 1945
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Donald W. Downs
Sep 1, 1946
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Harry E. Hamilton
Nov 1, 1946
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Richard H. Taylor
Dec 13, 1946
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Hubert W. Estes
May 16, 1947
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Mortimer P. Donoghue
Sep 16, 1948
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Grady A. Beacham
Dec 2, 1948
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George W. Cassels
Jul 12, 1953
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Lester G. Myers
Nov 13, 1958
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Harold K. Shelton
May 3, 1959
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Donald Joseph Brereton
Jan 7, 1960
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Terrell Monroe Dodson
Apr 17, 1960
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James J Roche
Jun 30, 1962
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Elmer L. Hunter
Mar 20, 1963
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David Clark Higginbotham
Dec 7, 1963
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Robert D. Handwerk
Jan 24, 1964
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Martin I. Donovan
Jul 9, 1964
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Marcus Preston Willis
Dec 27, 1965
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Marvin Lee Stocker
Mar 23, 1966
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Russell W. Ponton
May 2, 1967
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Gilbert Moral Silvia
Nov 25, 1967
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Lawrence Lewellyn Dorsey
Feb 2, 1968
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Eugene I. Williams
Feb 27, 1968
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Stephen Acheson Williams
Jul 2, 1968
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Willie C. Ivery, Jr.
Nov 15, 1968
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Michael J. Cody
Jul 14, 1969
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David C. Hawfield
Jul 14, 1969
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Allan L. Nairn
Nov 30, 1969
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David Harry Rose
Feb 20, 1971
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Glen Patrick Fisher
Mar 10, 1971
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Jerrard Foster Young
May 21, 1971
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William L. Sigmon
May 25, 1971
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Jerry Wayne Morris
Dec 4, 1971
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Dana Edward Harwood
Sep 25, 1972
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Ronnie W. Hassell
Dec 2, 1972
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George D. Jones, Jr.
Mar 24, 1973
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Gail A. Cobb
Sep 20, 1974
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Michael J. Acri
Oct 16, 1976
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Bruce Wesley Wilson
Apr 26, 1977
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Bernis Carr, Jr.
Feb 16, 1978
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Richard F. Giguere
Jun 6, 1979
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Alfred V. Jackson
Jun 6, 1979
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Arthur P. Snyder
Feb 12, 1980
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Donald G. Luning
Sep 14, 1982
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Robert K. Best
Dec 15, 1982
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Raymond E. Mumford
Mar 11, 1983
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Joseph M. Cournoyer
Jan 29, 1985
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Kevin Joseph Welsh
Aug 4, 1986
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Robert Remington
May 19, 1987
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James L. Gordon
Dec 14, 1987
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Ernest Carlyle Ricks, III
May 16, 1989
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Jason Edward White
Dec 30, 1993
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Henry Joseph Daly
Nov 22, 1994
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James Madison McGee, Jr.
Feb 7, 1995
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Scot Shaffer Lewis
Oct 9, 1995
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Anthony W. Simms
Jun 3, 1996
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Brian T. A. Gibson
Feb 5, 1997
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Oliver Wendell Smith, Jr.
Feb 26, 1997
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Robert Louis Johnson, Jr.
Apr 27, 1997
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Thomas Franklin Hamlette, Jr.
Jul 18, 1998
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 3-E
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Others Who Wore This Badge
130 officers from Metropolitan Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















