Des Moines Police Department, Iowa
End of Watch Monday, December 7, 1931
Add to My HeroesJames Joshua Cowart
Sergeant James Cowart was shot and killed by a former deputy sheriff he had arrested five years earlier.
He was at home when the subject knocked on his door at 6:30 a.m. When he answered it, the subject, standing in the yard, fired multiple shots through the glass-enclosed porch, striking Sergeant Cowart in the stomach.
Arriving officers found the subject fatally wounded after his shotgun accidentally discharged as he attempted to dismantle it.
Sergeant Cowart had served with the Des Moines Police Department for nine years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Bio
- Age 43
- Tour 9 years
- Badge 96
- Military Veteran
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Incident Date Sunday, December 6, 1931
- Weapon Shotgun
- Offender Accidentally killed himself
Most Recent Reflection
View all 4 ReflectionsThank you for your courage and dedication. You were taken away far too soon. We will never forget you. Rest in peace
Jerry
Fellow citizen
December 7, 2023
Recent LODD Deaths

Trooper Kyle McAcy
Nebraska State Patrol, NE
EOW: February 17, 2025

Police Officer Jeremy R. Labonte
Roswell Police Department, GA
EOW: February 7, 2025

Officer Jason Roscow
North Las Vegas Police Department, NV
EOW: February 4, 2025

Police Officer Philip J. Schifini
Nassau County Police Department, NY
EOW: November 27, 2024

Major Jeffrey A. Burke
New Jersey State Police, NJ
EOW: December 31, 2024

Corporal Dennis Francis Kelly
Delaware State Police, DE
EOW: December 21, 2024

Officer Baldino Morales-Sánchez
Mayagüez Municipal Police Department, PR
EOW: January 25, 2025

Border Patrol Agent David Christopher Maland
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: January 20, 2025

Sergeant Mark Butler
Navasota Police Department, TX
EOW: January 15, 2025