Charles F. Gradwell

Elmira Police Department — Elmira, NY

Felonious

End of Watch March 23, 1915

Age 53

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

The Vigil Panel 29 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Detective Sergeant Charles Gradwell and Chief John Finnell were shot and killed while attempting to question two burglary suspects in a rooming house on Baldwin Street. The two men they went to question were suspected in a string of recent burglaries. Both officers were shot in the room where the men were staying. Both suspects fled the scene. One was apprehended a short time later but the other was identified but never apprehended. The suspect was convicted of murder in the second degree of Detective Sergeant Gradwell and sentenced to 20 years to life. He was paroled in 1930 and returned to Chemung County to face a 1915 burglary charge. He was convicted of burglary, sent back to prison, and released in 1935.

Survivors

Detective Sergeant Gradwell had been with the agency for 28 years and was survived by his daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-0500AF61
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

28 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Sergeant Gradwell gave the Elmira Police Department 28 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Elmira community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sergeant Gradwell.

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

Agency

Department Elmira Police Department

Location Elmira, NY

Platform Identity epd.chemung.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 1915

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender One apprehended

Detective Sergeant Charles F. Gradwell is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NY, 754 of 2,147 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.1% of this state's fallen. That is 19.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Elmira Police Department, 2 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40% of this agency's fallen.

Elmira Police Department

of 5 officers

40% Felonious

NY — Statewide

754

of 2,147 officers

35.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious