Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer John Ayello died when he suffered a heart attack while making an arrest at the 300 Block of State Street in Hamburg.
Officer Ayello and another officer responded to a domestic disturbance call involving a suspect with outstanding warrants. While the suspect was being handcuffed, Officer Ayello suffered a heart attack. He was flown to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Survivors
Officer Ayello was a United States Navy Vietnam War veteran who had been in law enforcement for 21 years and had founded several anti-drug youth groups in the area called "Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs." He is survived by his wife and three grown children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-67AE7AF7- 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.
Officer Ayello gave the Hamburg Borough Police Department 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the Hamburg 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John A. Ayello served in the Navy (1964â1968) before joining law enforcement.
Officer John A. Ayello 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 Hamburg Borough Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John A. Ayello's cause is highlighted.
How John A. Ayello Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. John A. Ayello is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Hamburg Borough Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
