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Deputy Inspector

James W. Baber

Alexandria Police Department — Alexandria, VA

Cardiac

End of Watch October 19, 1962

Age 51

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

The Vigil Panel 215 · Column 2 · Line 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 16

Incident

Deputy Inspector James Baber suffered a fatal heart attack while struggling with a subject at the corner of Queen Street and N. Fayette Street. Deputy Inspector Baber and another officer had responded to the area of a shooting when he and Private Eugene A. Yoakum suddenly came upon three suspects. Private Yoakum, a Canine handler, detained two subjects and Deputy Inspector Baber seized one of them, a 17-year-old youth. The young man tried to break away and a struggle ensued with Deputy Chief Baber. Deputy Inspector Baber subdued the suspect and then sat on the ground and collapsed. He was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. at Alexandria hospital. Two years later, Private Yoakum was shot and killed responding to an assault call. Deputy Inspector Baber had served with the Alexandria Police Department for 27 years. He was survived by his wife and two sons. At the time of his death, Deputy Inspector Baber’s younger brother also served with the Alexandria Police Department as a Detective-Sergeant. One of Deputy Inspector Baber’s sons joined the Fairfax County Police Department two years later after his father’s passing and served as a police officer with that agency for 20 years. On March 5, 2018, Deputy Inspector Baber's name was added to the Hall of Honor at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Deputy Inspector Baber gave the Alexandria Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Alexandria community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Inspector Baber.

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

Agency

Department Alexandria Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Alexandria, VA

Platform Identity apd.alexandria.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 19, 1962

Tour of Duty 27 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Weapon Person

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

James is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1962, 13 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 43rd heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States

Who

James was 51. 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 27 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

October holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Fridays: 15.8%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 16.1% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded