Orange Police Department, New Jersey
End of Watch: Thursday, April 8, 1999
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: 48
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 8, 1999
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Inspector Joyce Carnegie was shot and killed by an armed robbery suspect she had stopped for questioning near the intersection of North Day Street and Freeway Drive West.
The suspect had just committed two muggings in the area minutes before and was walking toward Inspector Carnegie when she stopped him. As she approached him he drew his weapon and shot her before she had time to draw her own weapon. Although she was wearing a vest, she was shot in the head and abdomen. She was found next to her patrol car by a federal agent who happened to be in the area.
The 25-year-old suspect pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison on June 30th, 1999, without eligibility for parole.
Inspector Carnegie is the first female officer to be killed in the line of duty in Essex County, New Jersey, and the second to be killed in the state. She had served with the Orange Police Department for four years and is survived by her mother.
On October 7th, 2008 Officer Carnegie was posthumously promoted to the rank of Inspector along with three other fallen officers from Orange Police Department.