Patrolman Michael Hardy James
Colorado State Patrol
Colorado
End of Watch: Thursday, December 18, 1975

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, December 18, 1975
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life

Patrolman James was shot and killed with his own service weapon after making a traffic stop on U.S. 24 near Limon. The man he had stopped was a career criminal. While calling in the suspect's identification the man attacked him and gained control of his service weapon. The suspect then shot him, left him on the side of the roadway, and disabled his patrol car before fleeing.

A passing trucker reported the incident and called for help, but Patrolman James succumbed to his injuries before backup officers arrived.

The suspect was apprehended several hours later and sentenced to three life terms.

Patrolman James had been with the agency for over 4 years. He was survived by his wife and two sons.