Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Philip DeSantis was stabbed to death by a suspect who had just robbed a gas station and stabbed the attendant. Chief DeSantis was at home when he heard the call from a neighboring agency. The suspect was known to him, so he began to search for him. He located the man and pulled him over at the intersection of Woodbine Ocean View Road and Heine Avenue. During the traffic stop, the man stabbed him with a screwdriver or metal file multiple times before fleeing. The man was later apprehended. The gas station attendant died several hours later. The subject was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to two life sentences on May 3rd, 1974. He will be eligible for parole on May 4th, 2024. Chief DeSantis was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Woodbine Police Department for almost 20 years. He was survived by his wife, five sisters, and two brothers. Chief DeSantis was murdered within a few hundred feet of the home he was born in.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, five sisters, and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-035C15BE- 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.
Chief of Police DeSantis gave the Woodbine Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Woodbine 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Philip John DeSantis served in the Army (1942â1945) before joining law enforcement.
Chief of Police Philip John DeSantis 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 NJ, 264 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40.9% of this state's fallen. That is 13.3 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Philip John DeSantis's cause is highlighted.
How Philip John DeSantis Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Philip John DeSantis is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Philip John DeSantis was killed by edged weapon.