Melvin Vincent Santiago
Agency patch
Detective

Melvin Vincent Santiago

Jersey City Police Department — Jersey City, NJ
Felonious
End of Watch July 13, 2014
Age 23
Tour of Duty 6 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Melvin Santiago was shot and killed at 4:09 am when he and his partner responded to a robbery call at a 24-hour pharmacy on the corner of Communipaw Avenue and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

A male subject had entered the store and assaulted a private security guard. He severely beat the guard and stole his service weapon, then waited for responding officers to arrive with the intention to ambush them.

Detective Santiago and his partner had just pulled into the parking lot as the man exited the building and opened fire on them without warning. Detective Santiago was struck in the head before he was able to exit from the patrol car's passenger seat.

Other responding officers returned fire and killed the subject.

Detective Santiago had graduated from the academy only six months prior to the incident.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother and stepfather.

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.
Detective Santiago served with the Jersey City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Santiago.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ
Platform Identity jpd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 13, 2014
Tour of Duty 6 mo
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Melvin is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 2014, 63 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 119th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Melvin was 23. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Melvin had served 0.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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

Jersey City Police Department has 41 officers remembered here, Melvin among them.

VI

Where

Detective Melvin Vincent Santiago

Jersey City Police Department · End of Watch July 13, 2014

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 13-E

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