Walter Harrigan
Agency patch
Patrolman

Walter Harrigan

Jersey City Police Department — Jersey City, NJ
Accident
End of Watch August 27, 1934
Age 40
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
The Vigil Panel 68 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Walter Harrigan succumbed to injuries received in an accident while riding on the running board of a vehicle carrying an injured man to the hospital two days earlier. He was attending a Polish-American Citizens League event at Orchard Grove when a citizens suffered a broken leg. Patrolman Harrigan used his police whistle as he rode on the running board of a car taking him to the hospital. He slipped off of the running board and suffered a fractured skull. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center where he died of his injuries. Patrolman Harrigan had been with the agency for five years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-AB764751
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Walter. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Harrigan gave the Jersey City Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Harrigan.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ
Platform Identity jpd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 27, 1934
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 40
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Patrolman Walter Harrigan is one of 10,094 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,586 officers honored here.

In NJ, 258 of 646 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.9% of this state's fallen. That is 8.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Jersey City Police Department, 21 of 41 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 51.2% of this agency's fallen.

Jersey City Police Department
21
of 41 officers
51.2% Accident
NJ — Statewide
258
of 646 officers
39.9% Accident
Nationwide
10,094
of 32,586 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter Harrigan's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,559 (53.9%)
Accident
10,094 (31%)
Illness
3,037 (9.3%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
334 (1%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)

How Walter Harrigan Compares

Age at End of Watch
40
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Walter Harrigan is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897