Roll of Honor
Charles Brendon Cavanaugh
Incident
Chief of Police Charles Cavanaugh was shot and killed from ambush.
Chief Cavanaugh was investigating the scene of a fire when an intoxicated man who was angry that the Chief had issued his wife a summons for a motor vehicle violation, suddenly opened fire with a handgun. Chief Cavanaugh was shot several times and succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
The killer was tried for the murder in 1934 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He died in prison on August 20, 1936, of kidney failure and heart disease.
Chief Cavanaugh was 29 years old at the time of his death.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-A37FCFA8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Cavanaugh gave the Bernardsville Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bernardsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Cavanaugh.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Charles Brendon Cavanaugh is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In NJ, 229 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.4% of this state's fallen. That is 35.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles Brendon Cavanaugh's cause is highlighted.
How Charles Brendon Cavanaugh Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Brendon Cavanaugh is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Charles Brendon Cavanaugh was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Bernardsville Police Department are honored on badge.nw.