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Police Officer

Walter Thomas Barclay, Jr.

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 19, 2007

Age 64

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 7 mo

Badge 1410

The Vigil Panel 156 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Police Officer Walter Barclay succumbed to complications of a gunshot wound that he received 40 years earlier when he was shot and wounded by a burglary suspect.

Officer Barclay and another officer responded to a burglary call at a hair salon on the 6000 block of North 5th Street. When he arrived, Officer Barclay and another officer confronted a man in the rear of the location, who shot Officer Barclay twice before fleeing. The suspect also engaged additional responding officers in a gun battle, but was able to escape. Due to his wounds, Officer Barclay was left paralyzed from the waist down and forced to retire from the department.

Officer Barclay suffered numerous complications over the span of 40 years as a result of the wounds, which caused his death. His death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.

The suspect was arrested in 1966 and charged with aggravated assault. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has since been released. He was later rearrested by the Philadelphia Police Department after the death of Officer Barclay and charged with murder. On May 24, 2010, the man who shot Officer Barclay was acquitted of murder.

Police Officer Barclay was a U.S Army veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 1 1/2 years at the time of the shooting.

Survivors

He is survived by his brother and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-088F5077
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.
Police Officer Barclay gave the Philadelphia Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia 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

Department Philadelphia Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

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

Service Record

End of Watch August 19, 2007

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 7 mo

Age 64

Badge Number 1410

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Acquitted of murder

Military Service

Walter Thomas Barclay, Jr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Walter Thomas Barclay, Jr. 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