John Samuel Ashley
Agency patch
Sergeant

John Samuel Ashley

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC
Cardiac
End of Watch May 30, 2004
Age 37
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
The Vigil Panel 152 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant John Ashley suffered a fatal heart attack while chasing a dog for a short distance.

The dog had run away from a little girl in the 1600 block of 30th Street, NW. After he collapsed, he was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he passed away 30 minutes later.

Sergeant Ashley had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for seven years and was assigned to the Second District.

The dog had run away from a little girl in the 1600 block of 30th Street, NW. After he collapsed, he was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he passed away 30 minutes later.

Survivors

He is survived by his daughter, mother, and father.

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.
Sergeant Ashley gave the Metropolitan Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Ashley.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 30, 2004
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 37
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

John is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2004, 16 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 24th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 37. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. John had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

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

When

May holds 8.8% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Sundays: 13.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant John Samuel Ashley

Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch May 30, 2004

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 3-E

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