Alexandria Police Department, Virginia
End of Watch: Friday, October 19, 1962
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 27 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: October 19, 1962
Weapon Used: Person
Suspect Info: In custody
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.