Detective Joseph Henry Etriss

Joseph Henry Etriss

Detective Joseph Etriss was shot and killed when he mistakenly entered the wrong home while searching for a man who had just assaulted his wife.

He was searching for a murder suspect when his life located him and informed him that she had been assaulted. Believing the suspect had entered a nearby home on 13th Street, between Moore Street and Sigel Street, Detective Etriss went inside of it to arrest the man. However, he accidentally went inside of the wrong home. The homeowner, believing Detective Etriss was a burglar, shot him with a shotgun.

Detective Etriss had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 11 years and assigned to the City Hall Detective Squad. He was survived by his wife and three children.