Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

John Charles Stratton Jr.

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Cardiac

End of Watch April 25, 1970

Age 40

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 106 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 377

Incident

Police Officer John Stratton suffered a fatal heart attack in the parking lot of the 7th Police District shortly after an arrest.

He and several officers responded to the intersection of Knights Road and Ellicott Road for a large fight. Three adults and five juveniles were arrested for disorderly conduct. Officer Stratton struggled with one of the adults as he attempted to place them in the back of the police vehicle. He complained of not feeling well on the way to the police station.

He suffered a fatal heart attack moments after arriving back at the police station to book the adult. He was rushed to Nazareth Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Officer Stratton was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for four years.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-76F52604
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. John 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 Stratton gave the Philadelphia Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Thank you 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 April 25, 1970

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

John Charles Stratton Jr. served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer John Charles Stratton Jr. is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In PA, 118 of 1,261 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.4% of this state's fallen. That is 9.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 37 of 378 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.8% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

of 378 officers

9.8% Cardiac

PA — Statewide

118

of 1,261 officers

9.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Cardiac