John G. Scarangella
Agency patch
Police Officer

John G. Scarangella

Felonious
End of Watch May 1, 1981
Age 42
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Badge 22524
The Vigil Panel 124 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer John Scarangella succumbed to gunshot wounds received two weeks earlier when he and his partner were shot by heavily armed gunmen during a traffic stop on 116th Avenue, between 202nd Street and 203rd Street. Officer Scarangella and his partner stopped a van matching the description of one wanted in connection with several burglaries in the area. Before the officers could exit their vehicle, the two occupants of the van exited and opened fire with 9-millimeter semi-automatic handguns, firing a total of 30 shots. Officer Scarangella was struck twice in the head, and his partner was hit 14 times in the legs and back. Officer Scarangella was removed to the hospital where he died two weeks later. His partner was forced to retire in 1982 due to his wounds. The two suspects in the murder fled the state. One suspect was apprehended in North Carolina by detectives from the New York City Police Department and the Sumter County Sheriff's Department. The second suspect was apprehended in Pennsylvania by two police officers from the Philadelphia Police Department when they observed him walking down a street in Philadelphia wearing a bullet-resistant vest. When these officers approached the suspect, he dropped a gun and fled on foot. He was apprehended after a fierce struggle in which several officers were injured. At that time, he was found to have the gun that was used to kill Officer Scarangella and wound his partner. Both suspects were one-time members of the Black Liberation Army. They were convicted of attempted murder in connection with the shooting of Officer Scarangella's partner, but in two different trials, the juries were hung on the charge of murder in connection with the killing of Officer Scarangella. In July of 1986, both suspects were convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. One died in prison on August 30, 2008, and the other died in prison on April 3, 2016. Although never charged, one of the suspects in Officer Scarangella

Survivors

Survivors include his wife, four children, and three siblings.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Scarangella gave the New York City Police Department 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Scarangella.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 1, 1981
Tour of Duty 12 yrs
Age 42
Badge Number 22524
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1981, 126 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 39th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 42. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 12 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

New York City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer John G. Scarangella

New York City Police Department · End of Watch May 1, 1981

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 24-E

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