Joseph Thomas Aversa
Agency patch
Investigator

Joseph Thomas Aversa

New York State Police — Albany, NY
Accident
End of Watch March 5, 1990
Age 31
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Badge 2345
Gender Male

Incident

Investigator Aversa was conducting surveillance of undercover negotiations during a cocaine investigation when the drug dealers fired at the undercover officer. Investigator Aversa led other task force members to the scene and was fatally wounded by another officer during an exchange of gunfire with the two drug traffickers. Two other task force members were injured in this incident. One of the suspects was shot and wounded and both were taken into custody at the scene. It was later determined that Investigator Aversa was accidentally shot by another officer.

In Our Keeping

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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.
Investigator Aversa gave the New York State Police 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New York. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Investigator Aversa.

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

Agency

Type State Police
Location Albany, Albany County, NY
Platform Identity nysp.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 5, 1990
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 31
Badge Number 2345
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Joseph is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 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 1990, 66 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 64th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 31. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Joseph had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

March holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

New York State Police has at least 120 officers remembered here, Joseph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Investigator Joseph Thomas Aversa

New York State Police · End of Watch March 5, 1990

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 27-E

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