Charles J. Westdhal Jr.

Pennsylvania Railroad Police Department — Philadelphpia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch December 11, 1939

Age 31

The Vigil Panel 76 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 35

Incident

Location: Pennsylvania Incident Date: Thursday, December 7, 1939 Weapon: Officer's handgun Offender: Executed in 1940

Detective Charles Westdhal succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained four days earlier when he was shot inside the Fairmount Park Guard headquarters at the intersection of 44th Street and Parkside Avenue.

He had arrested a man whom he caught stealing coal from a railroad car on the tracks along that ran along through park at Black Road and West River Drive. While the man was in custody in the Park Guard headquarters he suddenly lunged at one of the park guards and grabbed his service revolver from its holster. He shot the guard in the abdomen as the two struggled over the gun.

Detective Westdhal and the subject then exchanged shot and both were wounded. The man was taken into custody by the park guard duty sergeant. Detective Westdhal was transported to Presbyterian Hospital where he died four days later.

The subject plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair on July 15th, 1940.

Detective Westdhal was survived by his wife and parents. His father was a police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Survivors

Detective Westdhal was survived by his wife and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-DE965396
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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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Westdhal served with the Pennsylvania Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphpia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Westdhal.

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

Agency

Department Pennsylvania Railroad Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphpia, PA

Platform Identity pennpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 11, 1939

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Officer's handgun

Detective Charles J. Westdhal Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,775 officers honored here.

In PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 47.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Pennsylvania Railroad Police Department, 13 of 36 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.1% of this agency's fallen.

Pennsylvania Railroad Police Department

of 36 officers

36.1% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,775 officers

0% Felonious