Joseph Leo Riley
Agency patch
Patrolman

Joseph Leo Riley

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police — Pittsburgh, PA
Accident Veteran
End of Watch August 3, 1924
Age 33
Tour of Duty 5 yrs 2 mo
The Vigil Panel 47 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Joseph Riley was killed in an automobile accident in which a fireman and a civilian were also killed on the Bloomfield Bridge. Patrolman Riley was a U.S. Army veteran of WWI and had served with the Pittsburgh Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-3C156A3F
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.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Joseph. 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 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.
Patrolman Riley gave the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police 5 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Location Pittsburgh, PA
Platform Identity pittpd.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 3, 1924
Tour of Duty 5 yrs 2 mo
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Joseph Leo Riley served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Joseph Leo Riley is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, 38 of 101 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.6% of this agency's fallen.

Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
38
of 101 officers
37.6% Accident
PA — Statewide
417
of 1,261 officers
33.1% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Leo Riley's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Joseph Leo Riley Compares

Age at End of Watch
33
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
5.2
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Leo Riley is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location