Joseph Stoddard

Cincinnati Police Department — Cincinnati, OH

Felonious

End of Watch September 10, 1852

The Vigil Panel 6 · Column 2 · Line 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Watchman Joseph Stoddard was stabbed to death while walking his beat in the city's Third Ward.

Earlier in the evening, he had been involved in a foot pursuit of a subject who fled from him after creating a disturbance in a local saloon. Watchman Stoddard was granted permission from his lieutenant to be relieved from attending roll call at the end of his shift so he could search for an item he saw the subject throw into some bushes.

Several hours later, a citizen located Watchman Stoddard's body suffering a stab wound on Pearson Street, between Third Street and Front Street. Investigation revealed that his revolver had been fired once.

Two men were initially arrested in connection with his murder but were later released due to a lack of evidence. The subject he had chased earlier in the evening was also identified and was wanted for robbery. He was located in St. Louis, Missouri, where he was shot and killed when officers attempted to arrest him. It was never determined if he was responsible for murdering Watchman Stoddard.

Watchman Stoddard was survived by his wife and children.

Survivors

Watchman Stoddard was survived by his wife and children.

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

174 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Watchman Stoddard served with the Cincinnati Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— 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 September 10, 1852

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph 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 1852, 10 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 171st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was edged weapon, in 2.2% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded