Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Joseph Cox suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to a vehicle crash in which a vehicle struck a horse-and-buggy in which one of the buggy's occupants had been ejected.
After assisting at the scene of the crash Sergeant Cox drove the buggy's driver home to the 9600 block of Ricker Road. After making contact with the driver's parents, he returned to his vehicle. As he began to back up, he suddenly accelerated in reverse at a high rate of speed, crashing into a fence and then traveling in circles until the patrol car became stuck in the mud.
Rescue personnel arrived at the scene and immediately began CPR. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Sergeant Cox was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Allen County Sheriff's Department for 19 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and six children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-70153B3F- 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 Cox gave the Allen County Sheriff's Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Wayne 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Joseph Alan Cox, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Joseph Alan Cox, Jr. is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IN, 24 of 503 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.8% of this state's fallen. That is 0.8 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At Allen County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Alan Cox, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Alan Cox, Jr. Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Alan Cox, Jr. is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Allen County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
