Joseph Charles Friel
Agency patch
Police Officer

Joseph Charles Friel

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch December 4, 1994
Age 25
Tour of Duty 6 mo
Badge 6267
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Joseph Friel was killed when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle driven by a drunk driver on Ridge Avenue near Acorn Street at 2:30 a.m. The 26-year-old driver was convicted of vehicular homicide and drunk driving and sentenced to 3 to 6 years in jail. One of Officer Friel's uncles was killed in the line of duty in 1986 while serving with the Philadelphia Fire Department. Officer Friel was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for only 6 months and was assigned to the 5th Police District. He was survived by his son, two sisters, a brother, and a fiancee. Officer Friel's younger brother also served as a Philadelphia police officer.

Survivors

He was survived by his son, two sisters, a brother, and a fiancee.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
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Stewardship
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Joseph is one person.

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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.
Police Officer Friel served with the Philadelphia Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA
Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 4, 1994
Tour of Duty 6 mo
Age 25
Badge Number 6267
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Joseph Charles Friel served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1994, 93 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 59th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 25. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Joseph had served 0.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 4.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Joseph Charles Friel

Philadelphia Police Department · End of Watch December 4, 1994

Military Service

Joseph Charles Friel served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

Visit Joseph Charles Friel’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 52-E

Also Remembered

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