Julio Ramon Rodriguez-Rivera

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127

Felonious

End of Watch August 24, 1978

Age 33

The Vigil Panel 120 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 363

Incident

Policeman Julio Rodriguez-Rivera was slain when he stopped to assist a disabled motorist. At approximately 11:00pm, Officer Rodriguez-Rivera and his partner were patrolling highway PR-3 near Tropical Beach in Naguabo when the noticed a stalled vehicle with a motorist having mechanical problems. As the officers assisted them several armed men came out of the woods and ambushed the officers. Officer Rodriguez-Rivera pulled his weapon to repel the attack and was shot and killed. His partner was handcuffed into a tree and his uniform and badge was stolen. The attackers were deterred away by a pair of undercover officers that discovered the officers patrol car on the side of the road. The motorist was a decoy for a radical group, the Boricua Popular Army, whose intent was to liberate Puerto Rico from the United States using violence and oppression. On September 23rd, 2005, FBI agents led a raid at a home in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, where they surrounded the house of the group's former leader. The subject was subsequently killed in a shootout with FBI agents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PR-23A868CE
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Policeman Rodriguez-Rivera served with the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Rodriguez-Rivera.

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

Agency

Department Puerto Rico Police Department

Location San Juan, 127

Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 24, 1978

Age 33

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Policeman Julio Ramon Rodriguez-Rivera 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 127, 294 of 388 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75.8% of this state's fallen. That is 21.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Puerto Rico Police Department, 279 of 364 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.6% of this agency's fallen.

Puerto Rico Police Department

279

of 364 officers

76.6% Felonious

127 — Statewide

294

of 388 officers

75.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious