Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

James A. McKale Jr.

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch September 15, 1974

Age 28

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

Badge 5139

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 377

Incident

Police Officer James McKale was killed in an automobile crash on West River Drive near the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. He had just reported to duty and was en route for routine patrol when he lost control of his vehicle at 7:28 a.m. He was transported to the Medical College of Pennsylvania, where he died from his injuries. Officer McKale was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for three and a half years. He was survived by his parents and sister. His father was a retired Philadelphia Police Department officer.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-0D7F8054
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. James 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 McKale gave the Philadelphia Police Department 3 years.
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

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 15, 1974

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

Age 28

Badge Number 5139

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

James A. McKale Jr. served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer James A. McKale Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 33.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 110 of 378 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.1% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

110

of 378 officers

29.1% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident