Joseph E. Sanchez

Baton Rouge Police Dept. — Baton Rouge, LA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch June 6, 1966

Age 47

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 101 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 26

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Sanchez succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained two months earlier while arresting a suspect for robbery. At 7 pm, Sergeant Sanchez and a Patrolman stopped a vehicle at the intersection of South 13th Street and Spain Street after being alerted to an armed robbery. The subject shot Sergeant Sanchez as he approached the car. Sergeant Sanchez was transported to Baton Rouge General Hospital with a bullet lodged in his spine. The wound caused a blood clot to develop, which moved to his heart. The 38-year-old suspect was apprehended in New Orleans two days later. He was convicted of attempted murder and robbery and sentenced to 30 years. After Sergeant Sanchez died, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 1972, The United States Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, and his sentence was replaced with life in prison. Sergeant Sanchez was a WWII and Korean War veteran who had been a prisoner in a German POW camp for 20 months and served with the Baton Rouge Police Department for 14 years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, two brothers, and a sister. He is buried at Saint Theresa of Avila Catholic Cemetery in Gonzales, Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, two brothers, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-LA-1332B85D
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 Sanchez gave the Baton Rouge Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge Police Dept.

Location Baton Rouge, LA

Platform Identity brpd.ebr.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 6, 1966

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 47

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Life in prison

Military Service

Joseph E. Sanchez served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Joseph E. Sanchez 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 LA, 364 of 595 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.2% of this state's fallen. That is 7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Baton Rouge Police Dept., 17 of 27 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this agency's fallen.

Baton Rouge Police Dept.

of 27 officers

63% Felonious

LA — Statewide

364

of 595 officers

61.2% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious