Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Hugh Coyle was shot and killed while attempting to arrest an escapee who had just shot the police chief of Noblestown.
The man had been serving a sentence for murder when he escaped from jail. He was located by a county detective and the Noblestown police chief, hiding in an old ice barn. When the police chief entered the barn, he was shot in the shoulder and wounded.
A large crowd assembled at the location and set off dynamite, destroying part of the barn, but the man remained hidden inside. Later in the afternoon, Constable Coyle, who had gone to the scene from McDonald, stated he would get the man out. As he entered the barn he was shot and fatally wounded.
Following the shooting of Constable Coyle, the crowd poured oil on the barn and set it afire. As the flames spread the suspect committed suicide.
Constable Coyle also served as a deputy sheriff in addition to serving as a policeman for McDonald Borough.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-PA-B891C5E0- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Coyle served with the McDonald Borough Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the McDonald community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Hugh J. Coyle 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 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 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Hugh J. Coyle's cause is highlighted.
How Hugh J. Coyle Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Hugh J. Coyle is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Hugh J. Coyle was killed by handgun.