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Richard H. Fletcher Jr.
Incident
Patrolman Richard Fletcher succumbed to injuries when he fell 14 feet from a scaffolding over Palisades Avenue at the entrance to the new High Speed Highway approach to the Holland Tunnel.
He was assigned to a special detail to paint traffic markers over the highway when he fell and suffered a skull fracture. He died from his injuries on April 21st, 1929.
Patrolman Fletcher was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Jersey City Police Department for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, three sons, parents, three brothers, a sister, and a half-sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Fletcher gave the Jersey City Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Richard H. Fletcher Jr. served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
The Sacrifice · Accident
Jersey City Police Department has lost 41 officers; 21 of them lost to accidents.
Richard is one of 258 officers lost to accidents in NJ, 39.9% of the 647 remembered there.
Richard is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.
Richard is one of 10,096 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.6% of the 34,103 remembered here.
34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1929, 3 officers at Jersey City Police Department were lost to accidents, more than in any other year.
In 1929, 11 officers in NJ were lost to accidents, more than in any other year.
In 1929, 118 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, more than in any other year.
In 1929, 130 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 2nd heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
Richard was 31. Of the 15 lost to accidents at Jersey City Police Department whose age is recorded, half were between 26.5 and 38.5; the middle age was 31. Richard had served 8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Richard was 31. Of the 232 lost to accidents in NJ whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 41.3; the middle age was 33.5. Richard had served 8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Richard was 31. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Richard had served 8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Richard was 31. Of the 9,452 lost to accidents worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 45; the middle age was 36. Richard had served 8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
April holds 9.5% of these deaths at Jersey City Police Department; December holds the most, 19%. Sundays: 28.6%.
April holds 6.6% of these deaths in NJ; March holds the most, 10.5%. Sundays: 16.7%.
April holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 14%.
April holds 7% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Sundays: 14%.
How
Accident deaths account for 51.2% of all 41 deaths at Jersey City Police Department, the most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 39.9% of all 647 deaths in NJ, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.6% of all 34,103 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Jersey City Police Department has 41 officers remembered here, Richard among them.
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Thomas Flynn Nov 29, 1879
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Edward O'Brien Dec 18, 1881
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Nicholas Nester Oct 7, 1908
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Dennis J. Sullivan Jun 12, 1910
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Hugh J. Clarke Oct 1, 1913
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Charles Graham Jun 11, 1914
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John Patrick Murphy
Nov 29, 1915
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James F. Doherty
Aug 1, 1916
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Thomas Joseph Cavanagh
Jun 23, 1921
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James Dinley Nov 6, 1921
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Eugene C. Otersen Jan 7, 1922
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William P. Clark Aug 2, 1922
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Charles Henry Ackerman Oct 11, 1922
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James B. Quinlan Apr 7, 1923
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John Black
May 22, 1923
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Clarence Weir
May 22, 1923
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Walter O'Neill
Mar 2, 1929
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John J. Shanahan Mar 2, 1929
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Richard H. Fletcher, Jr.
Apr 21, 1929
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Edward Ruark Dec 12, 1930
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Joseph Francis Sewell
Jul 18, 1932
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James J. Carroll May 27, 1934
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Walter Harrigan Aug 27, 1934
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William Cahill Oct 26, 1946
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William McCaffery Dec 13, 1958
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Stephen Lipka Nov 8, 1965
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Stanley P. Przygocki
Oct 29, 1967
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Casper J. Buonocore, Jr.
Sep 12, 1973
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John J. Bracken
Sep 12, 1973
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Dominick Edward Conticchio
Sep 10, 1974
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William G. McCarthy Jan 14, 1976
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Donald Patrick Carroll
Nov 6, 1986
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Samuel R. Wilson
Jan 4, 1989
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John E. Laughery
Nov 24, 1992
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Domenick J. Infantes, Jr.
Jul 6, 2001
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Shawn Carson
Dec 25, 2005
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Robert Nguyen
Dec 25, 2005
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Marc Anthony DiNardo
Jul 21, 2009
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Melvin Vincent Santiago
Jul 13, 2014
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Christopher Robateau
Jan 5, 2018
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Joseph Alan Seals
Dec 10, 2019
Where
Military Service
Richard H. Fletcher Jr. served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.
Visit Richard H. Fletcher Jr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Where the Name Is Cut
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
Also Remembered
Others Who Wore This Badge
40 officers from Jersey City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
