John Ratkay

Niagara Falls Police Department — Niagara Falls, NY

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 10, 1917

Age 26

Tour of Duty 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 33 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Patrolman John Ratkay was shot and killed while he was attempting to break up a disorderly group at 135 11th Street (near present-day Memorial Parkway & Buffalo Avenue). Patrolman Ratkay had been assigned to a special detail aimed at eliminating "Disorderly Houses" which had been operating in this area for some time. The suspect, who was a target of the police cleanup, was arrested a few hours later at a house on 20th Street.

The 33-year-old suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years. He was paroled in 1929. He was sent to the Atlanta Federal Prison in 1931 for a narcotics conviction. He was paroled 19 months later. In 1933 he violated his parole and remained a large until captured in Connecticut in 1940.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-CE9706FC
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Ratkay served with the Niagara Falls Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Niagara Falls community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Niagara Falls Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Niagara Falls, Niagara County, NY

Platform Identity nfpd.niagara.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 10, 1917

Tour of Duty 8 mo

Age 26

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

John Ratkay served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman John Ratkay 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 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 Niagara Falls Police Department, 3 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Niagara Falls Police Department

of 7 officers

42.9% Felonious

NY — Statewide

728

of 2,147 officers

33.9% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Felonious