Ellery Bertram Purnsley

Chester City Police Department — Chester, PA

Felonious

End of Watch November 6, 1948

Age 56

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

The Vigil Panel 85 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 16

Incident

Detective Ellery Purnsley was shot and killed as he responded to the scene of the Market Street Massacre. He was approaching the building where the suspect was hiding after the man went on a shooting rampage. Detective Purnsley had served with the Chester City Police Department for 31 years. He was survived by his daughter, Isabelle Abrams Green, and his granddaughter, Virginia B. Abrams.

Survivors

He was survived by his daughter, Isabelle Abrams Green, and his granddaughter, Virginia B.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-F186275E
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

31 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Purnsley gave the Chester City Police Department 31 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Chester community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Purnsley.

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

Agency

Department Chester City Police Department

Location Chester, PA

Platform Identity cpd.delaware.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 6, 1948

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

Age 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; .22 caliber

Offender Deceased

Detective Ellery Bertram Purnsley 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 Chester City Police Department, 8 of 17 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.1% of this agency's fallen.

Chester City Police Department

of 17 officers

47.1% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious