Newark Police Division, New Jersey
End of Watch: Monday, October 23, 1854
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Date of Incident: October 23, 1854
Weapon Used: Edged weapon; Spring dirk
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Badgely was stabbed to death by a prisoner who was attempting to escape custody. Officer Badgely and two other officers were escorting four prisoners to the jail following a hearing before a judge. The prisoners were handcuffed in pairs, left wrist of one prisoner to the right wrist of another prisoner. As Officer Badgely turned a corner near the jail with the first pair of prisoners and out of sight of the other two officers, Officer Badgely yelled for help. As the other two officers rushed to his aid they found that he had been stabbed in the chest.
Although both prisoners attempted to flee the scene, one of them fell preventing the pair from making their escape. Officer Badgely identified the prisoner who stabbed him just before he died. A six inch spring dirk knife was recovered at the scene of the stabbing.