New York City Police Department, New York
End of Watch Tuesday, June 19, 1917
Add to My HeroesSamuel T. Cunningham
Officer Cunningham was shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest in the Inwood section. He was transported to St. Lawrence Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds approximately three weeks later.
The 19-year-old suspect was arrested in New Jersey about six months later. He was a member of the National Guard and had used a weapon stolen from the National Guard Armory to murder Officer Cunningham. In February of 1918 he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years to life. On October 16, 1920, he a another inmate nearly beat three guards to death and escaped in a stolen automobile from Sing Sing Prison. Six days later they were captured in Warner, New Hampshire. He got seven years added to his sentence for escape and another five years for assaulting the three guards. In 1947 he was paroled. In 1956 he was arrested by FBI agents in Las Angeles, California, for violating his parole.
Officer Cunningham was assigned to the 42nd Precinct, the present day 34th Precinct.
Bio
- Age 35
- Tour Not available
- Badge 5454
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Incident Date Friday, May 25, 1917
- Weapon Gun; Unknown type
- Offender Paroled in 1947
Most Recent Reflection
View all 8 ReflectionsNo passage of time can ever erase your service and the sacrifice you made and know that you will never be forgotten.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo (Retired)
Delaware State Police
June 19, 2020
Recent LODD Deaths
Investigator Brian Herbert
Osage Nation Police Department, TR
EOW: April 17, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Fred Fislar
Hendricks County Sheriff's Office, IN
EOW: April 16, 2024
Police Officer Michael E. Jensen
Syracuse Police Department, NY
EOW: April 14, 2024
Lieutenant Michael Hoosock
Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, NY
EOW: April 14, 2024
Sergeant William Marty Jackson, II
Winchester Police Department, KY
EOW: April 14, 2024
Police Officer Ross Bartlett
Ceresco Police Department, NE
EOW: April 12, 2024
Chief of Police Steven Allen Singer
Lake Lafayette Police Department, MO
EOW: April 8, 2024
Correctional Sergeant Andrew John Faught
Illinois Department of Corrections, IL
EOW: April 8, 2024
Police Officer Joseph McKinney
Memphis Police Department, TN
EOW: April 12, 2024