Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer James Griffin succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two days earlier when he was shot inside of the 5th District station house. A suspect had been arrested for stealing plywood from a construction site earlier in the day. Officer Griffin and his partner were sent in the paddy wagon to transport the suspect to the detective division. As they took custody of the prisoner, the man was able to gain control of the other officer's service weapon and shot Officer Griffin in the leg. Officer Griffin was then shot again in the side after falling to the floor. The 31-year-old suspect was shot twice and seriously wounded by the duty sergeant as he attempted to flee the building. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Officer Griffin had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 11 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-0F89ACBD- 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 Griffin gave the Philadelphia Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Griffin.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer James E. Griffin 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James E. Griffin's cause is highlighted.
How James E. Griffin Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James E. Griffin is highlighted in Mar.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James E. Griffin was killed by officer's handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
377 officers from Philadelphia Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
