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Detective

Joseph A. Perkins

Memphis Police Department — Memphis, TN

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch July 17, 1900

Age 78

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 16 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 93

Incident

Detective Joe Perkins succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained two earlier when he was shot during the arrest of a murder suspect wanted in Marshall County, Mississippi.

He and his partner went to a location where the suspect’s spouse was employed on McLemore Avenue near Cummings Street. As Detective Perkins entered the establishment, his partner secured a rear window. Upon entering the room where the assailant was hiding, he was shot. The detective returned fire but was not able to strike his target.

His partner waited for the shooter to come from hiding and engaged the suspect, shooting and killing him.

Detective Perkins was taken to his home where a doctor attended to him. He died from his wounds two days later.

Detective Perkins had served with the Memphis Police Department for two years and had previously served with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office for seven years.

Detective Perkins was survived by his wife and eight children. He was a Union Civil War Veteran having served as a private with the 10th Tennessee Infantry, Company A.

Survivors

Detective Perkins was survived by his wife and eight children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-FF44497D
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.
Detective Perkins gave the Memphis Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Memphis community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Memphis Police Department

Location Memphis, TN

Platform Identity mpd.shelby.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 17, 1900

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 78

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

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

Detective Joseph A. Perkins 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 TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Memphis Police Department, 53 of 94 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 56.4% of this agency's fallen.

Memphis Police Department

of 94 officers

56.4% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious