Los Angeles Police Department, California
End of Watch: Saturday, March 4, 1944
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: 2015
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: February 18, 1944
Weapon Used: Person
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 10 years
Policeman James Summers succumbed to injuries sustained on February 18th, 1944, while struggling with a prisoner inside a paddy wagon on Main Street.
Other officers had just arrested the man for acting drunk and disorderly. During the transport the man started fighting with another prisoner and Policeman Summers attempted to separate the two. The man kicked Policeman Summers in the abdomen, causing serious internal injuries.
Policeman Summers was transported to Georgia Street Receiving Hospital where he died on March 4th, 1944.
The subject, 22, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to one to 10 years in prison. In 1952 he served a short sentence in Texas for drunk driving. On August 1, 1971, he and his passenger were killed in a head-on collision on Highway 14 near Mexia, Texas. He was driving on the wrong side of the road. The driver of the other car was killed and his passenger was admitted to a hospital in serious condition.
Policeman Summers was a U.S Army veteran of WWI.