Harris W. West
Agency patch
Patrolman

Harris W. West

Kansas City Police Department — Kansas City, MO
Accident
End of Watch July 26, 1917
Age 27
Tour of Duty 2 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Harris West was chasing suspected burglars when he was accidentally shot and killed by a citizen who mistook him for a burglar.

Patrolman West had been with the agency for two months. He is buried in Cresco Cemetery, Howard, Elk County, Kansas.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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 West served with the Kansas City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Kansas City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman West.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Kansas City, Cass County, MO
Platform Identity kcpd.jackson.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 26, 1917
Tour of Duty 2 mo
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

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

34,117 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 1917, 41 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 107th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Harris was 27. 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. Harris had served 0.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. 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

Kansas City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Harris among them.

Across the years

Patrolman Harris W. West

Kansas City Police Department · End of Watch July 26, 1917

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 30-W

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