Edward Steck
Agency patch
Lieutenant

Edward Steck

Buffalo Police Department — Buffalo, NY
Felonious
End of Watch May 22, 1922
Age 56
Tour of Duty 24 yrs
Badge 48
The Vigil Panel 43 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Lieutenant Edward Steck was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a burglary suspect he caught trying to break into his next door neighbor's house. The suspect escaped. During the next four years many suspects were questioned and released. The most promising one was a man arrested in Key West, Florida, wanted in Buffalo on other charges. He was being held for Cuban authorities for the murder of a captain and engineer on a boat off the coast of Havana. He signed a confession stating he murdered Lieutenant Steck. U.S. officials told Buffalo officials he would be returned to Cuba because they needed more evidence than just a confession to hold him. Experience had taught our government that criminals wanted in the U.S. and Cuba would say anything to avoid Cuba because their prisons were much worse and they used their death penalty more freely and a lot more. Lieutenant Steck He had served with the Buffalo Police Department for 24 years and was assigned to Precinct 12.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-5F6BF366
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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Tributes

24 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant Steck gave the Buffalo Police Department 24 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Buffalo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Steck.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Buffalo, Erie County, NY
Platform Identity bpd.erie.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 22, 1922
Tour of Duty 24 yrs
Age 56
Badge Number 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Lieutenant Edward Steck 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 97,772 officers honored here.

In NY, 728 of 2,147 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.9% of this state's fallen. That is 33.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Buffalo Police Department, 22 of 51 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 43.1% of this agency's fallen.

Buffalo Police Department
22
of 51 officers
43.1% Felonious
NY — Statewide
728
of 2,147 officers
33.9% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edward Steck's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Edward Steck Compares

Age at Death
56
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
24
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Edward Steck is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Edward Steck was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909