Joseph Henry Etriss

Philadelphia Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Felonious

End of Watch March 25, 1928

Age 36

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 10 mo

The Vigil Panel 55 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 377

Incident

Detective Joseph Etriss was shot and killed when he mistakenly entered the wrong home while searching for a man who had just assaulted his wife. He was searching for a murder suspect when his life located him and informed him that she had been assaulted. Believing the suspect had entered a nearby home on 13th Street, between Moore Street and Sigel Street, Detective Etriss went inside of it to arrest the man. However, he accidentally went inside of the wrong home. The homeowner, believing Detective Etriss was a burglar, shot him with a shotgun. Detective Etriss had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 11 years and assigned to the City Hall Detective Squad.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-55E3BD63
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.
Detective Etriss gave the Philadelphia Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Etriss.

— 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 March 25, 1928

Tour of Duty 10 yrs 10 mo

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Not available

Detective Joseph Henry Etriss 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