Michael Sean Curtin
Agency patch
Sergeant

Michael Sean Curtin

Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch September 11, 2001
Age 45
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
Badge 3256
The Vigil Panel 149 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Michael Curtin was killed in the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center.

Sergeant Curtin was a United States Marine Corps veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He had served with the New York City Police Department for 13 years and was assigned to ESU Truck 2.

September 11, 2001

Sergeant Michael Sean Curtin was killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was 45 years old.

He is one of 72 officers honored here, and one of 23 at New York City Police Department.

Seventy-two law enforcement officers from eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, alongside 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians. A fourth aircraft went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a law enforcement officer aboard was among the dead.

Officers went into the towers while everyone else was coming out. More than 25,000 people reached safety because they did.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and brother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-6A7B09F1
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Michael. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Michael is one person.

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Tributes

You went in while everyone else was coming out.
Sergeant Curtin gave the New York City Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Curtin.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 11, 2001
Tour of Duty 13 yrs
Age 45
Badge Number 3256
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

Military Service

Michael Sean Curtin served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Michael Sean Curtin 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 97,759 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 New York City Police Department, 365 of 1237 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 29.5% of this agency's fallen.

New York City Police Department
365
of 1,237 officers
29.5% Felonious
NY — Statewide
728
of 2,147 officers
33.9% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Sean Curtin's cause is highlighted.

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

How Michael Sean Curtin Compares

Age at Death
45
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
13
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Sean Curtin is highlighted in Sep.

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. Michael Sean Curtin was killed by aircraft; passenger jet.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Michael Sean Curtin served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

Visit Michael Sean Curtin’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.