Sharon L. Higgins

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Cardiac

End of Watch August 16, 1987

Age 32

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 132 ›

Gender Female

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Police Officer Sharon Higgins suffered a fatal heart attack inside her police car moments after clearing from a medical call at about 4:20 pm.

She had responded to assist a rescue squad on the third floor of a home in the 1000 block of Lawrence Way. Officer Higgins returned to her vehicle to clear herself from the call when she suffered a fatal heart attack inside her police vehicle with the rescue squad still on the scene. She was rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 5:35 pm.

Officer Higgins had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years. She was survived by her husband and 5-month-old son. Officer Higgins was assigned to the Third Police District.

Survivors

She was survived by her husband and 5-month-old son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-0F658EAF
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Higgins gave the Philadelphia Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Higgins.

— 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 16, 1987

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 32

Gender Female

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Police Officer Sharon L. Higgins 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 PA, 118 of 1,261 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Philadelphia Police Department, 37 of 378 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.8% of this agency's fallen.

Philadelphia Police Department

of 378 officers

9.8% Cardiac

PA — Statewide

118

of 1,261 officers

9.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac