Prev Next
Joseph James Abdella
Agency patch
Sergeant

Joseph James Abdella

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Cardiac
United States flag Michigan flag
End of Watch August 14, 2015
Age 49
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
The Vigil Panel 164 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 249

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Abdella suffered a fatal heart attack after assembling an obstacle course for a training session for the Detroit Police Department's Mounted Unit in Palmer Park.

He had spent approximately six hours moving heavy lumber and hundreds of hay bails to simulate conditions that the officers and horses might encounter while on duty. Sergeant Abdella began to feel ill and went to rest in an air conditioned office. When he failed to return after several minutes another officer went to check on him and found him unresponsive.

He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.

Sergeant Abdella had served with the Detroit Police Department for 21 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtnwdk1d10fhk315sf6eg
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Joseph. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

21 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Abdella gave the Detroit Police Department 21 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Abdella.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 14, 2015
Tour of Duty 21 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Joseph is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
  4. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2015, 21 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 7th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 49. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Joseph had served 21 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Fridays: 15.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Detroit Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Joseph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Joseph James Abdella

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch August 14, 2015

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 13-W

↑