Joseph Robert Sankey

Fairmount Park Police Department — Philadelphia, PA

Accident Veteran

End of Watch September 1, 1964

Age 29

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Park Guard Joseph Sankey died after falling out of a patrol wagon during the 1964 riots. The patrol wagon was involved in an accident at 24th Street and Cumberland Avenue and Guard Sankey's door opened. He fell out of the door and struck his head on the curb. He was transported to Women's Medical Hospital where he died almost three hours later. Park Guard Sankey was a United States Air Force veteran. He had served with the Fairmount Park Police Department for over two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-B96043FC
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.
Park Guard Sankey gave the Fairmount Park Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Fairmount Park Police Department

Location Philadelphia, PA

Platform Identity fppd.philadelphia.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 1, 1964

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

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

Park Guard Joseph Robert Sankey 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 Fairmount Park Police Department, 5 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 71.4% of this agency's fallen.

Fairmount Park Police Department

of 7 officers

71.4% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident