Earl Phillips Wilkins

Portsmouth Police Department — Portsmouth, VA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch April 9, 1968

Age 42

The Vigil Panel 103 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 9

Incident

Sergeant Earl Wilkins was struck and killed by a drunk driver on I-264 near Rodman Avenue at 9:30 p.m. He was parked on a grassy area off of the highway when the drunk driver struck him. He was assigned to the I-264 overpass for surveillance during the Martin Luther King riots. Sergeant Wilkins was a U.S. Navy veteran of the WWII and Korean Wars.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, mother, step-mother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-83547238
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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.
Sergeant Wilkins served with the Portsmouth Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Portsmouth 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

Department Portsmouth Police Department

Location Portsmouth, VA

Platform Identity ppd.portsmouth.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 9, 1968

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Not available

Military Service

Earl Phillips Wilkins served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Earl Phillips Wilkins is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In VA, 395 of 654 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Portsmouth Police Department, 6 of 10 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.

Portsmouth Police Department

of 10 officers

60% Felonious

VA — Statewide

395

of 654 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious