John W. Blackburn

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch January 17, 1929

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Inspector John Blackburn was shot to death by a man who had barricaded himself with a shotgun in his apartment on Mermaid Lane, near St. Martin’s Lane in Chestnut Hill. The man was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Inspector Blackburn had served with the agency for 25 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-0664CD5C
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

25 years. You could have gone home.
Inspector Blackburn gave the Philadelphia Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Inspector Blackburn.

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

Agency

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity ppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 17, 1929

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Not guilty by reason of insanity

Inspector John W. Blackburn 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 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 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

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

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious