Cincinnati Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 17, 1974
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: P160
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 14, 1974
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Two sentenced to life. One paroled
Patrolman David Cole was shot and killed after responding to an alarm call at United Dairy Farmers at 2373 Florence Avenue.
When he arrived on the scene, he observed two men walking nearby. As he approached them, they opened fire, wounding him twice. One of the suspects then took Patrolman Cole's revolver and shot him again. Patrolman Cole was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.
Both suspects, both 23, were sentenced to death but had the sentences commuted to life. One of the men was paroled in 1991 and moved to California. The other suspect has been denied parole four times, and the next hearing is on March 1, 2027.
Patrolman Cole was an Ohio National Guard veteran and had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for five years. His father was also a Cincinnati Police Officer. He was survived by his wife, parents, and four siblings.
In September 2021, a street near Florence and Gilbert Avenues in Walnut Hills was named after Patrolman David Cole. In 2023, a portion of Interstate 71 was dedicated as “Patrolman David L. Cole Memorial Highway.”
He is buried in Saint Peter Cemetery, New Richmond, Ohio.