Carmelo Ortiz-Rivera
Agency patch
Police Officer

Carmelo Ortiz-Rivera

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch May 5, 1991
Age 34
Tour of Duty 7 mo
The Vigil Panel 304 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Carmelo Ortiz-Rivera was shot and killed while off-duty and at home in Juncos, Puerto Rico. The officer had made ​​several arrests, including high-powered figures involved in the underworld in this village. A car stopped outside his home and a man called out to him. When he went to see who it was, the man fired six shots, striking the officer three times. His family had been moved there for safety. Officer Carmelo Ortiz-Rivera had served for seven months in the Puerto Rico Police Department, and was assigned to the Drugs and Narcotics Division of Caguas as an undercover agent.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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.
Police Officer Ortiz-Rivera served with the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Ortiz-Rivera.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Juan, 127
Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 5, 1991
Tour of Duty 7 mo
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Carmelo is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1991, 85 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 76th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Carmelo was 34. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Carmelo had served 0.6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Puerto Rico Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Carmelo among them.

Across the years

Police Officer Carmelo Ortiz-Rivera

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch May 5, 1991

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 34-W

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