Robert J. Alexander
Agency patch
Detective

Robert J. Alexander

Paterson Police Department — Paterson, NJ
Felonious
End of Watch June 6, 1935
Age 62
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Detective Robert Alexander was shot and killed in Warwick, New York while investigating an armed robbery. Police had learned that the suspect would be at the Post Office on Warwick's Main Street at a certain time. Detective Alexander spotted the suspect, who wore a disguise. He didn't pull his gun as he approached the suspect and grabbed the upper part of his body. The subject had a gun in his coat pocket and fired it three times into Detective Alexander, fatally wounding him. The suspect was killed moments later in a shootout with Paterson officers and state troopers. Detective Alexander was transported to a nearby hospital where he died a short time later. Detective Alexander had served with the agency for 27 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and four grandchildren.

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

27 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Alexander gave the Paterson Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Paterson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Alexander.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Paterson, Passaic County, NJ
Platform Identity patepd.passaic.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 6, 1935
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 62
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Robert 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 1935, 154 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 25th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Robert was 62. 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. Robert had served 27 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Paterson Police Department has 11 officers remembered here, Robert among them.

VI

Where

Detective Robert J. Alexander

Paterson Police Department · End of Watch June 6, 1935

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 50-W

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