Roll of Honor
Incident
Substitute Patrolman James Gallagher was shot and killed while investigating sounds of gunfire outside of his boarding house while off duty. A drunk man had fired two shots at a group of strangers standing in front of the home at the corner of Longworth Street and Central Avenue. Hearing the shots, Patrolman Gallagher retrieved his revolver and went outside. As he began to confront the subject, the man shot him twice. Despite being wounded, he was able to return fire and wounded the suspect. The man was subdued by a citizen. He was sentenced to only seven years in jail and pardoned after serving only two years. He died while serving a sentence for burglary in Rhode Island in 1887. The Greater Cincinnati Firefighters Memorial sits on the spot where Substitute Patrolman James Gallagher was killed. It is also the location where Patrolman Samuel Robins, end of watch April 25, 1916, and Detective Albert Wegener and Policeman George LePoris, end of watch November 12, 1917, were killed. Patrolman Gallagher had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for a few months. He was survived by his mother, sister, and brother, who served as a detective with the Louisville Police Department. He is buried at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati.
Survivors
He was survived by his mother, sister, and brother, who served as a detective with the Louisville Police Department.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-B0C23A73- 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
150 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Substitute Patrolman Gallagher 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Substitute Patrolman James Gallagher 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 57.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Cincinnati Police Department, 63 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Gallagher's cause is highlighted.
How James Gallagher Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Gallagher is highlighted in Mar.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Gallagher was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
105 officers from Cincinnati Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
