Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Joseph Charles Friel

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch December 4, 1994

Age 25

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Badge 6267

The Vigil Panel 141 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 377

Incident

Police Officer Joseph Friel was killed when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle driven by a drunk driver on Ridge Avenue near Acorn Street at 2:30 a.m. The 26-year-old driver was convicted of vehicular homicide and drunk driving and sentenced to 3 to 6 years in jail. One of Officer Friel's uncles was killed in the line of duty in 1986 while serving with the Philadelphia Fire Department. Officer Friel was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for only 6 months and was assigned to the 5th Police District. He was survived by his son, two sisters, a brother, and a fiancee. Officer Friel's younger brother also served as a Philadelphia police officer.

Survivors

He was survived by his son, two sisters, a brother, and a fiancee.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-B146FC07
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. Air Force. One record, 2 gates. Joseph 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 Friel served with the Philadelphia Police Department.
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 December 4, 1994

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Age 25

Badge Number 6267

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Joseph Charles Friel served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Joseph Charles Friel 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 97,759 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 Philadelphia Police Department, 162 of 378 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

162

of 378 officers

42.9% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious