Roll of Honor
Joseph Allen Coghill
Incident
Officer Coghill was shot and killed after he and another officer arrested two men suspected of being involved in a burglary. The two men were placed in a patrol wagon to be taken to jail. One of the men drew a concealed revolver and fired three shots. Officer Coghill was fatally wounded and the other officer was grazed by a round. The suspect was sentenced to death but the sentence was later commuted to life in prison. He was died in prison when he was accidentally crushed by a service truck at the prison's loading dock. Officer Coghill was a US Army veteran of WWI.
Survivors
He had served in law enforcement for two years and was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-E4D26514- 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 Coghill gave the Dormont Borough Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Pittsburgh 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
Joseph Allen Coghill served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer Joseph Allen Coghill 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph Allen Coghill's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph Allen Coghill Compares
Offender Outcome
Died in prison
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph Allen Coghill is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Joseph Allen Coghill was killed by handgun; revolver.