Joe V. Graham
Agency patch
Officer

Joe V. Graham

Fort Worth Police Department — Fort Worth, TX
Illness
End of Watch May 10, 1935
Age 38
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
The Vigil Panel 69 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Graham died from an infection as a result of being bitten on the finger while making an arrest 6 weeks earlier. Officer Graham was on his way home when he was involved in a car accident at 25th Street and Market Street. He noticed that the other driver was intoxicated and told the man he was under arrest. The man began to resist and bit Officer Graham on the tip of his right middle finger. Officer Graham was able to complete the arrest.

The finger began to swell and he was admitted to the hospital on April 11. He was admitted into emergency surgery and had the finger amputated. The surgery failed to stop the infection and he was admitted to the hospital again. He died as a result of the infection on May 10.

Officer Graham had served with the Fort Worth Police Department for 9 years. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Graham gave the Fort Worth Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Graham.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Fort Worth, Denton County, TX
Platform Identity fwpd.tarrant.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 10, 1935
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Duty related illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Joe is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% 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 1935, 4 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 29th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joe was 38. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Joe had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

May holds 6.2% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Fridays: 14.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Fort Worth Police Department has 59 officers remembered here, Joe among them.

Across the years

Officer Joe V. Graham

Fort Worth Police Department · End of Watch May 10, 1935

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 26-E

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