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Patrolman

Samuel T. Cunningham

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Felonious

End of Watch June 19, 1917

Age 35

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Badge 5454

The Vigil Panel 75 · Column 3 · Line 8 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

Patrolman Samuel Cunningham was shot and killed while attempting to stop a stolen vehicle on Prescott Avenue (current-day Payson Avenue) in the Inwood section of Manhattan. When Patrolman Cunningham witnessed a reckless driver, he realized the vehicle had been stolen. He tried to stop the driver, who pulled out a gun and shot him five times. The driver crashed his vehicle into a pillar at 10th Avenue and fled. Patrolman Cunningham was transported to St. Lawrence Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds approximately three weeks later. The 18-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 and 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. Patrolman Cunningham had served with the New York City Police Department for at least seven years and was assigned to the 42nd Precinct, the present-day 34th Precinct.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Cunningham gave the New York City Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Cunningham.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 19, 1917

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 35

Badge Number 5454

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Samuel is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1917, 165 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 19th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Samuel was 35. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Samuel had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded