Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer James Ramp was shot and killed during a standoff with a radical group known as MOVE. A shootout resulted when Officer Ramp and several other officers tried to evict 12 adults and 11 children from their headquarters at 33rd and Pearl Streets. Officer Ramp was shot from the MOVE house while pushing someone else out of the line of fire. Four other officers, five firefighters, and three bystanders were also shot and wounded. All 12 adults were taken into custody. Nine of the 12 were convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 30 to 100 years in prison. Two subjects died in prison on March 17th, 1998. All subjects were paroled by 2020. Officer Ramp was a United States Marine Corps WWII and Korean War veteran who served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 23 years. He was survived by his wife and son. He is in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-E00F0121- 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.
Police Officer Ramp gave the Philadelphia Police Department 23 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James J. Ramp served in the Marine Corps (1948â1952) before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer James J. Ramp 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 J. Ramp's cause is highlighted.
How James J. Ramp Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 30 to 100 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James J. Ramp is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James J. Ramp was killed by rifle.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
377 officers from Philadelphia Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
