On This Date (May 28) 1935-Officer Ernest Edmund Leonard Jr.
On This Date (May 28) 1935, a father and mother lost a son, his four brothers and one sister lost a brother and Dallas lost a Police Officer.
Motorcycle Officer Ernest Edmund Leonard Jr., age 24 died as a result of injuries sustained at 12:30 p.m. as he pursued a vehicle described by witnesses as a sedan traveling south on South Denley Drive at well over seventy miles per hour.
As Officer Leonard entered the intersection of South Denley Drive and Stella Avenue a vehicle also traveling south on Denley Drive stopped as the operator heard the siren of Officer Leonard’s motorcycle, Equipment Number 13.
Officer Leonard swerved in an attempt to avoid this vehicle, but collided to the running board area at which time he was ejected from his motorcycle and continued in a southerly direction striking his head on the curb of the roadway.
The pursued violator continued and was never identified.
Officer Leonard was transported to Methodist Hospital where he died as a result of his injuries at 7:35 p.m. this same day.
May I add something here-----Officer Leonard’s brother, Tyree Bell Leonard was a Lieutenant in the Burglary and Theft Unit of the Dallas Police Department and retired after a long career. His brother Turney White Leonard, upon graduation from Texas A&M University during World War II entered the Army as a Second Lieutenant. He rapidly advanced to the rank of First Lieutenant and was commanding a Tank Destroyer Company as the Allied Forces entered Germany from France and Belgum.
In numerous truly heroic deeds, Lieutenant Turney White Leonard was award the Medal of Honor after his death at a Allied Medical Aid Station which was overrun by a large German SS Battalion where all person there were killed. He was buried nearby in the field, his remains later recovered and transported to Dallas where he, his brothers Tyree Bell and Ernest Edmund Jr. are interred at Grove Hill Cemetery. He rests beside his mother Lilly Leonard and brother Tyree with brother Ernest nearby.
Another brother was a Corpus Christi Police Officer and the other a Minister.
The motorcycle Officer Leonard was operating, Equipment Number 13 had been involved in several other accidents, two of with I know were fatal. It was repaired and renumbered.