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Police Officer

William J. Loftin

Cincinnati Police Department — Cincinnati, OH

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 26, 1975

Age 35

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge P465

The Vigil Panel 254 · Column 1 · Line 14 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 105

Incident

Police Officer William Loftin was shot and killed and his partner was wounded after responding to a call of a man firing a handgun at a bar at 3450 Burnet Avenue. A short time earlier the man had walked into the bar and informed the bartender that he needed a gun because he wanted to shoot a police officer. He then went to his car, retrieved a .38 caliber revolver, and stood on the sidewalk. A citizen who had observed him holding the gun then found Officer Loftin and his partner parked close by. As he told them about the subject the man fired two shots in the air. Officer Loftin and his partner confronted the man, who then opened fire on them, striking Officer Loftin in the abdomen. Both officers returned fire, wounding the suspect as he fled. He was arrested a short distance away. The man was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to death June 29th, 1977. His sentence was later commuted to life by the United States Supreme Court. He was denied parole several times and died in prison on August 18th, 2007. Officer Loftin was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for almost nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his fiancee, parents, and grandmother.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. William is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Loftin gave the Cincinnati Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Cincinnati Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Cincinnati, Hamilton County, OH

Platform Identity cincpd.hamilton.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 26, 1975

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 35

Badge Number P465

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

William J. Loftin served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

William 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 1975, 163 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 21st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

William 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. William had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

August holds 8.9% 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 handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded