Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Wallace Blakleigh Chapman

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch June 13, 1948

Age 40

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Badge 3934

The Vigil Panel 84 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 377

Incident

Officer Chapman was shot to death while arresting a man who two women said had been insulting him. While at a call box at 8th and Poplar streets, the suspect knocked Officer Chapman down, took his service revolver, and shot him repeatedly. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life in prison. Officer Chapman was a U.S Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-7507E356
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. Wallace 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 Chapman 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 June 13, 1948

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 40

Badge Number 3934

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Military Service

Wallace Blakleigh Chapman served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Wallace Blakleigh Chapman 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