Incident
Detective James Kelly suffered a fatal heart attack that was triggered by severe smoke inhalation. As he was completing his shift the previous night an inmate started a fire in his cell by smoking in bed. Detective Kelly was able to rescue the inmate but inhaled a considerable amount of smoke. He refused medical treatment and went home, where he began to feel ill. He went to the hospital the following morning where he suffered the heart attack. Detective Kelly had served with the Pittsburgh Police Department for 14 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
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.
Detective Kelly gave the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police 13 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Kelly.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Cardiac
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has lost 101 officers; 5 of them lost to cardiac events.
James is one of 118 officers lost to cardiac events in PA, 9.4% of the 1,262 remembered there.
James is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.
James 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 1955, 1 officer at Pittsburgh Bureau of Police was lost to cardiac events, more than in any other year.
In 1955, 4 officers in PA were lost to cardiac events, the 2nd heaviest of 72 years on record. The heaviest was 1957, with 5.
In 1955, 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 1955, 16 officers worldwide were lost to cardiac events, the 24th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.
Who
James was 49. Of the 5 lost to cardiac events at Pittsburgh Bureau of Police whose age is recorded, half were between 48 and 49; the middle age was 48. James had served 13.4 years; the middle length of service was 16 years.
James was 49. Of the 118 lost to cardiac events in PA whose age is recorded, half were between 44 and 56; the middle age was 48. James had served 13.4 years; the middle length of service was 15.4 years.
James was 49. 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. James had served 13.4 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
James was 49. 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. James had served 13.4 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.
When
June holds 40% of these deaths at Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, more than any other month. Fridays: 60%.
June holds 11% of these deaths in PA; January holds the most, 11%. Fridays: 13.6%.
June holds 7.2% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Fridays: 15.8%.
June holds 7.3% of these deaths worldwide; January holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.8%.
How
Cardiac deaths account for 5% of all 101 deaths at Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the 4th most common cause. The weapon recorded was arson, in 20% of these deaths.
Cardiac deaths account for 9.4% of all 1,262 deaths in PA, the 4th most common cause. The weapon recorded was arson, in 0.8% of these deaths.
Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause. The weapon recorded was arson, in 0.2% of these deaths.
Cardiac deaths account for 3.9% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 4th most common cause. The weapon recorded was arson, in 0.2% of these deaths.
His people
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has 101 officers remembered here, James among them.
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Daniel McMullen Dec 18, 1869
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Isaac Jones Sep 23, 1871
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John Stack Apr 24, 1872
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John A. Weimar Aug 24, 1874
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James L. Stokely Jun 8, 1877
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Thomas Lyons Jul 16, 1878
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Edward O'Dwyer Jul 5, 1881
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John F. Evans Aug 6, 1885
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George H. Woods Sep 6, 1886
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Thomas Chidlow
May 24, 1888
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Thomas Freeborn Apr 10, 1894
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Patrick F. Doyle Aug 8, 1895
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John Alexander Berry
Feb 9, 1898
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Charles Metzgar May 11, 1898
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William Scanlon
Jul 8, 1898
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David W. Lewis
Aug 7, 1900
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Andrew Harper Sep 2, 1900
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Patrick Edward Fitzgerald
Apr 12, 1901
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James H. Sheehy May 18, 1902
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John Graham Kelty
Jan 11, 1903
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Andrew J. Kelly Oct 4, 1903
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Casper Mayer Apr 1, 1904
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Albert M. Teeters
Oct 22, 1904
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George Mason Cochran Nov 13, 1904
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James Farrell Oct 23, 1908
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John J. McDonough
Sep 29, 1913
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Michael Grab
Mar 3, 1914
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George H. Shearer
May 12, 1914
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Edgar Matthew Hyland May 26, 1917
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Charles LeRoy Edinger
Jun 6, 1917
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Thomas Patrick Farrell
Mar 2, 1918
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Alexander Rodgers McCloskey
Oct 24, 1918
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Thomas Francis McVerry
Oct 26, 1918
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Robert Sinclair
Nov 18, 1918
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John Dallas Richey Dec 22, 1918
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James Ambrose McCormick Dec 24, 1918
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Charles Bingler Morrison Dec 27, 1918
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Ralph Thomas Harper Jan 16, 1919
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James Aloysius Dorsey Mar 22, 1919
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John Henry Schneider May 20, 1919
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George Hofmann Oct 30, 1919
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Peter K. Tsorvas
Nov 2, 1920
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William J. Johnston
May 2, 1921
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Edward George Couch
Oct 30, 1922
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Daniel John Conley
Dec 30, 1922
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Casper Thomas Schmotzer
Jan 23, 1923
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John Joseph Rudolph
Apr 3, 1923
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Joseph Jovanovic
Jul 7, 1924
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Joseph Leo Riley
Aug 3, 1924
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Robert John Galloway
Aug 26, 1924
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Samuel R. McGreevy Oct 9, 1924
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Albert Bert Burris
Jun 30, 1925
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Charles Lewis Cooper, Jr.
Aug 17, 1925
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James F. Farrell
Jul 6, 1927
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William P. Johnson Oct 23, 1927
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Ralph P. Gentile
Nov 1, 1928
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John Joseph Schemm
Dec 21, 1928
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James J. McVerry
Mar 15, 1929
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Stephen Janeda
Jul 15, 1929
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James Edward Hughes
Dec 27, 1929
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Orrie N. Murray
Jun 25, 1930
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Anthony E. Rahe
Aug 7, 1930
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Joseph John Beran
Jan 28, 1931
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George J. Sallade
Oct 5, 1933
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Roy William Freiss
Feb 3, 1935
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Robert Leo Kosmal
Aug 17, 1935
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Albert Leander Jacks
Apr 17, 1936
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Charles M. Snyder
Jan 25, 1937
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George A. Kelley
Feb 12, 1937
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John J. Scanlon Aug 21, 1937
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Edward M. Conway
Jun 27, 1939
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Tobias J. Brown
Aug 23, 1941
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Arthur Andrew MacDonald
Mar 16, 1945
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Louis G. Spencer
Dec 24, 1946
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William J. Lavery
Aug 5, 1947
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William Ross Ewing
Feb 7, 1953
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Edward Vincent Tierney, Jr.
Jul 28, 1953
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William H. Heagy
Mar 25, 1954
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John George Gillespie
Jan 25, 1955
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James R. Kelly
Jun 3, 1955
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James V. Timpona
Oct 16, 1958
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Anthony John Notaro
Jul 22, 1964
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Coleman Regis McDonough
Jul 5, 1965
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Joseph Francis Gaetano
Jun 10, 1966
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James Edward Graff
Feb 23, 1968
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John Leslie Scott
Oct 14, 1970
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William J. Otis
Mar 3, 1971
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Patrick J. Wallace, Jr.
Jul 3, 1974
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David Allen Barr
May 3, 1983
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Norman Alexander Stewart
Sep 16, 1983
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James Thomas Blair
Nov 26, 1990
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Joseph John Grill
Mar 6, 1991
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Thomas Lawrence Herron
Mar 6, 1991
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James Henry Taylor, Jr.
Sep 22, 1995
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Paul John Rizzo Domenic Sciullo, II
Apr 4, 2009
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Stephen James Mayhle
Apr 4, 2009
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Eric Guy Kelly
Apr 4, 2009
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Calvin Maurice Hall
Jul 17, 2019
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Brian L. Rowland
Sep 26, 2021
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Richard Charles Howe
Oct 21, 2021
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Timothy Earl Werner
Nov 2, 2021
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 21-W
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