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Corporal

Joseph Raymond Pokorny Jr.

Pennsylvania State Police — Harrisburg, PA

Felonious

End of Watch December 12, 2005

Age 45

Tour of Duty 22 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 154 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 86

Incident

Corporal Joseph Pokorny was shot and killed following a short pursuit near an exit ramp from I-376 in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, shortly after 2:00 am.

A violent struggle ensued after the driver of the vehicle crashed. During the struggle the suspect was able to gain control of Corporal Pokorny's service weapon. The suspect then shot him in the neck and chest. The round that struck him in the chest entered an area around his armpit not protected by his vest. The suspect then stole Corporal Pokorny's service weapon and fled the scene.

Several minutes later, a Carnegie police officer who happened to be driving by the scene, located Corporal Pokorny's body in a snowbank approximately 25-feet from his patrol car. A second handgun was found underneath Corporal Pokorny.

The suspect, who had been on parole for less than one month, was taken into custody later in the day and officially charged with Corporal Pokorny's murder two days later. On October 24th, 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Corporal Pokorny had served with the Pennsylvania State Police for 22-1/2 years, and was assigned to Troop B, Pittsburgh. He is survived by his son, daughter, and parents. His son graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police academy on March 15th, 2013.

Survivors

He is survived by his son, daughter, and parents.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Corporal Pokorny gave the Pennsylvania State Police 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the people of Pennsylvania. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal Pokorny.

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

Agency

Department Pennsylvania State Police

Type State Police

Location Harrisburg, Dauphin County, PA

Platform Identity pasp.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 12, 2005

Tour of Duty 22 yrs 6 mo

Age 45

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph 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.

Compare against

Time

In 2005, 73 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 96th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Joseph was 45. 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. Joseph had served 22.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded